


Minechievement Hunter!

by aam5ever



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: AU, Minecraft, yay another fanfic!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-06
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-02-16 07:46:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 60,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2261586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aam5ever/pseuds/aam5ever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The AH guys' shenanigans in the Minecraft World, day by day!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ray's Rose Hunt

**Author's Note:**

> ...yay?  
>  I've been meaning to do this for a while so...  
> Good!

It was a fine day in Achievement City. The square sun was shining, and Ray rose from his red bed, which creaked slightly, stretching his sore muscles.

It was hard to wake up after one of Geoff's weekly games.

That Saturday, the chickens were clucking happily as two ran across the Achievement Hunter logo, the base of the downtown city. Ray wiped his eyes to get some sleep out of them, standing to look around his small but cozy home.

Perceval came up to him, rubbing his head against Ray's lower leg in pleasure. Ray bent down to pat the little creature on his small, furry head.

"Mornin', buddy." He cheerfully greeted the kitten. He shot a glance to Pat the Head, unmoving as usual. "Morning to you too."

Putting on his suit, he paused before going outside, into the world, to check in his rose chest.

"Let's see how much I've got." He narrated. Opening the wooden chest, he gasped when all he saw were four red roses in the encasement. He was running low.

"Damn it, I was hoping I didn't have to go out there." He groaned. Ray closed the chest and swung open his door. Shielding his eyes from the almost overpowering rays of the sun (ha ha, puns.), he sighed and began to walk towards the western forest, where it was more vegetated and not covered in snow.

"Morning, Ray!" Ryan called to him. He himself was leaving his house, and fixing his kilt as well.

"Hey!" Ray greeted. "What's up?"

"I'm just going to get some hay for Edgar!" Ryan responded. "You?"

"I need to restock my roses!" Ray said. With nods to each other, they continued on their way to their own individual tasks. 

Ray continued to walk, past Jack's house, over the bridge, towards the forest. He softly hummed as he went his way, carrying his sack that he held his roses in. The sack, what he and the others called 'Inventory', bounced with every step he took.

His head was finally covered under the influx of leaves once he entered the western, warm forest. Unseen birds chirped, and he even saw something that resembled Perceval dart across the landscape, through the trees.

Ray sighed. The calm of the forest was always like a soft blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He continued into the forest, looking around for his beloved flowers. Single or in a bush, it didn't matter to him. Ray only needed enough to last him a few more days, then he'd go and get more. It was a cycle for the man. It made him be able to have them at hand at all times.

The Hispanic man, after a few minutes of searching, leaned his back against a tree with a defeated noise. Usually his instincts took over, and he'd be able to get the roses in under five minutes. But today, he was off his game. Maybe it's because he isn't just looking hard enough...

A yip sounded to his left. Ray's head turned so quick it almost gave him whiplash. What was that? Surely there aren't any monsters out this morning. They all should have burned or gone underground already.

The noise was heard again, and Ray, not conclusive to what it was, got off the tree and began to move again. He didn't want to be a sitting duck to whatever made that noise.

Ray smirked after taking a few yards of steps. He had found a stash.

Roses, in both bushes and singles, were all around the area. It was a meadow, the sun shining on the delicate but beautiful flowers, and Ray couldn't wait to suck it dry of the pretty roses. 

He had begun to pluck a few off the ground and throw them into his bag when he heard the yip once more. Ray stood slowly, serveying the area for anything moving. All that moved was the swaying grass from the wind that was slightly picking up.

So what was making that noise?

He was a bit more alert when he bent back down to go pick flowers again. He put them in his Inventory with precision and swiftness, not dropping a single one. With each one, the sack had more and more weight. When he had picked what he believed was over 60, Ray stood up again, and was about to go on his merry way-

If only there weren't white wolves in front of him.

Ray stopped short, frightened by both the unexpected and uninvited company. They growled loudly. They surely weren't friendly today.

No, they sounded hungry.

"Hey... uh..." Ray stuttered as he backed up. With each step he took backward, they took forward. The one in front licked it's lips while to the left, another snapped at the Hispanic. Ray jumped at the sound of its teeth smashing together. "Woah, we can settle this... just, um..." And then Ray turned and ran for his life.

He heard the wolves behind him, coming for him, eyes red and teeth at the ready. Ray tried his best to pick up the pace, is dress shoes skittering over the landscape. The forest didn't seem so peaceful anymore. Instead, they felt a bit too shaded. Ray kept on feeling like something he couldn't see would soon come in his way, or that a rock that he wouldn't notice would trip him.

The wolves snarled, their paws pounding on the dirt ground as they tried to gain speed. Ray felt them gaining it, and did his best to figure out where he was.

Okay, so he came in from the south of the forest, now he's running more northeast. If he shifts his movement, maybe he can run to the city again and be out of the forest.

Hopefully.

His panting becoming much more apparent, Ray only then realized that he was losing speed while his thought process went on. Snapping back into focus, Ray managed to just get out of the jaws of a gaining wolf.  
The four, powder white wolves hadn't let up, but were actually more determined to get their new prey.

They were always persistent, hostile creatures. They have been ever since Ray and the guys came and settled in Achievement City. He should've just left the forest as soon as he heard them around.

"Okay, so, where did you want this new game to be?" Geoff asked Gavin. The two had been walking in the forest, discussing the new game they had in store for the next week. It was a tradition, and they always did it a bit before noon. 

"Maybe by or under Clouds?" The British man offered as an idea as he scratched the back of his head. Readjusting his bow and arrows on his back, they continued their walk.

"Nah, that's too close to it." Geoff disagreed, slightly twirling his cartoon-like mustache. He had removed his helmet at the time, and held it between his hip and his right arm as he looked around and talked to his partner. 

"Hey, what about-" Gavin was about to offer another idea, but they heard something which both caused them to stop. Geoff held his iron sword, which was attatched to his hip, protectively. "What's that?" Gavin said softly, mostly to himself.

Geoff answered anyway. "It sounds like wolves are coming this way." He drew his sword. "I heard one barking."

It was true. They just didn't know who was causing the ruckus.

Ray ran past them, and saw Gavin's bright green scarf amongst all the green trees and grass. 

He quickly called out to his friend. "Help!" That was all the tuxedo-clad man could say before trying to double his speed and get out of that dreadful forest. What ever happened to peaceful mornings?

"Holy shit," Geoff cried. "was that Ray?" The wolves were hot on his trail, not even letting up or acknowledging the other men. 

Gavin drew his bow from his back, along with a bow. He had forgotten to visit Jack to get the weapon enchanted, but otherwise, the weapon was pretty handy and useful almost always.

"It was. Let's go!" Gavin said without another thought. The British man took off running, a bit behind they wolves, trying to catch up. 

"But-" Geoff rolled his eyes before drawing his sword and chasing after the rest of them. 

Seriously, what the FUCK happened to peaceful mornings?

Ray was getting tired, and knew he couldn't stay running forever. He wasn't getting out of the damn forest any time soon, and didn't even have a weapon on him. It all sucked to high heaven. 

Ray decided to try to climb a tree. Even with the Inventory in tow, he managed to make it up a few branches of a sturdy tree.

His arms gave up after the third branch. Ray never really was blessed with the upper body strength that most had. He tried to curl his legs up as much as possible, because all the wolves were scratching and jumping up and nipping at his dress pants and shoes. 

"God damn it!" He groaned when he kicked a wolf in the face for the second time. "Can you just leave already?"

Ray caught something moving in the corner of his vision. His head snapped that way in a split second, and his fear melted into complete relief when he saw his sharp shooter friend Gavin holding a finger to his lips. What was the point in being quiet, anyway? The wolves were snarling and barking at him enough to fill the forest with noise.

Gavin used the first arrow he had picked and put it into position. Crouching on a sturdy branch, the British man pulled the bow string back with precision and patience, staring without blinking at the jittery, impatient wolves, waiting for the exact moment to strike. 

He saw the perfect moment, and struck.

Thump! The arrow was sticking out of the now falling wolf's side. when it hit the ground dead, the creature disappeared with a 'poof', like most things did in that world. Two more quicker, a bit less timed shots killed the second wolf. The other two quickly understood the gist of it, and fled the scene immediately. Geoff had been in the shadows, waiting to see if Gavin was going to have trouble with the snarling hostile wolves. Coming out of them with his usual smirk, he looked at Ray, who smiled sheepishly at the older man.

"Pussy." Said the mustached man.

"I am what I eat." Ray retorted.

"C'mon, guys." Gavin sighed as he jumped from his perch. He replaced his bow on his back. "Let's go home. That was more action than I anticipated today, and my legs hurt from running."

"Same." Ray smirked.

"What're you waiting for?" Geoff asked the younger man still in the tree. "Come on."

"Uh..." Ray seemed shy to share his dilemma. He still hung there like a stuck cat in the tree. Geoff gestured for him to drop down.

"Come on!" Geoff repeated.

"How?"

"Oh, for Christ's sake..." The Brit chuckled. Gavin quickly removed his bow from his back yet again and took an arrow out at the same speed, aiming and then shooting above Ray's head. Ray instinctively shifted and yelped, before yelling even more when he fell on his back.

"Now you know how." Geoff said sarcastically before laughing with Gavin. Ray's sack of roses lay beside him as he sat up, and he picked them up before calling for the other two to wait up when they were already on their way back.


	2. Pat the- What the Fuck?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pat the Head isn't as mute as he seems...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another idea I had while doing absolutely nothing.

It was the day after the whole 'wolf' incident, and after that, everyone laughed it off with no problems. 

Ryan woke up, hair a bit messy from tossing and turning, and got up to go immediately check on Edgar.

The cow was doing well. So well, in fact, that he didn't get fussy when Ryan jumped down into he hole himself and pet his animal friend.

"Morning Edgar." He smirked at the cow when it mooed. You'd think he'd dismiss it as a regular, same old cow thing. Instead, Ryan responded, as if he was talking to a person. "Nice to see you too. I actually have work to do. I'll get you breakfast, then I'm gonna go make some potions for the guys" He smiled at his companion before climbing up the ladder he made for himself and getting out of the hole.

Michael had woken up, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and grumbled about how the sun should shut the fuck up.

After he did that, the warrior got up and tried his best to fix his curls in front of slightly reflective glass.

Well, that didn't work.

He sighed, went for his glasses, and put them on a bit forcefully. Then, he stretched his muscles, and went to get a glass of milk from storage.

Jack had already woken up too. He had his helmet on and was getting himself some cooked porkchops for breakfast. It was his favorite.

He ate his fill before going outside to servey Achievement City. He spotted Gavin and Geoff about to leave to start building, and decided that hey, why not, maybe he should join them too.

"Hey guys!" He yelled before trotting down his porch stairs. "Wait up!"

Catching up to them, he got updated on what they were building that time. Usually, Jack didn't really go with them to build, since they were pretty capable by themselves. But just hearing about the huge project made Jack's eyes widen. How would they have even done that on their own? He HAD to come!

Ray woke up later than the others, with a yawn and rub of his eyes. He got himself situated pretty quickly, from food to the suit to checking that the roses were safe. (They were.) Ray then smiled when Perceval purred as he sat on his bed.

"Morning." Ray smiled as he pet the cat. Then, he nodded towards Pat the Head. "Morning to you too."

"Morning." Pat responded as his eyes shifted to Ray. 

Wait, what the hell?

"Holy SHIT!" Ray shouted, alarmed. He began to inch his way to the head. "Pat... you're... what the fuck..." He whispered to himself.

"I actually prefer the name Reginald." The head informed him. 

"Oh my GOD." Ray said in disbelief. "You really are alive!"

"Indeed." Pat said, unamused. "Now, if you would please leave, I would like some peace and quiet."

Ray looked at him, confused. "Huh?" He shook his head. "Anyway, I HAVE to tell Ryan." Ray darted out of his house, the door slamming behind him, and ran to Ryan's equally-if-not-smaller house.

"Ryan?" He knocked on the wooden door, praying the man would open it. A crash was heard from inside, followed by a curse in frustration. The older man opened the door, a frown and a cocked eyebrow basically drawn onto his face.

"This better be good, you cost me twenty minutes of work." Ryan said seriously. He usually got like that when he was interrupted, so Ray didn't mind the stern tone. In fact, he didn't mind anything. He was just smiling like a complete idiot.

"You've GOT to fucking see this." Ray implored. Ryan sighed, and came out of his doorway a bit more, closing his door behind him. 

"What's up?" He lost the stern look and voice, and adopted a curious one of each.

"Just-" he took Ryan's arm and lead/dragged him to his house. Throwing open the door, Ray pointed at Pat the Head, who sat motionless.

"Uh... everything seems fine in here," Ryan observed. "and with him."

"No, but he can TALK." Ray insisted like a child. "Pat, speak."

"I'm not some sort of damn dog, you know." Pat informed them. Ryan's eyes widened and he took a step back in surprise. There was no way, there was just no way!

"AND he has a British accent!" Ray said giddily. "He's like, I don't know, fuckin' magic!"

Pat scoffed. "There are more logical explanations than magic, boy."

"Boy?" Ray said defensively. "I'm over twenty years old!"

"And yet I still out age you." The head matter-of-factly stated. "Probably you too, you skirt-wearing ninny." He was staring at Ryan now, with a smirk of satisfaction.

Ryan got defensive as well. "It's a kilt!" He scowled, then turned to Ray. "Your head's got a bit of an attitude problem."

"Yeah." Ray nodded. "No shit." He cast a glance at the head that only grumpily listened to their conversation. "We have to tell the others. This might be something we can even figure out ourselves."

"You're right." Ryan agreed. "Besides, I don't want him to call me a damn simpleton again. We should get rid of him."

Ray had a look of horror on his face. "What? No way!" He frowned. "I've had him for a long time."

"You can replace him, right?" Ryan tried to reassure Ray, but it didn't work.

"He's special!" 

"I guess..." Ryan grumbled. Pat finally coughed to get their attention.

"I believe we should put it up to a vote." The head said. "We should ALL decide what to do with me, seeing that I am, apparently, the freak of nature here."

"You're a fucking talking head, of COURSE you're a freak of nature!" Ryan threw up his arms to emphasize how obvious it was.

"Look," Ray tried to get things back on track. "We need to go and get the guys. Let's go see who's still here. Maybe Gavin and Geoff haven't left yet."

"They did." Ryan crossed his arms. "I saw them and Jack walk north from here. Probably to go building."

"Well..." Ray thought. "That means Michael should still be here."

"What about Michael?" A voice asked. The two turned from Pat. Michael stood there, mushroom stew in hand to eat, and it seemed like he was just passing by before they mentioned his name. "What's up?" He took a sip from the bowl.

"Uh..." Ryan was at a loss for words. How was he to explain the situation?

Ray knew how. "Pat the Head is ALIVE!" He moved from in front of the door to show the head. Michael took a few steps forward to stand with them.

The head didn't really move at first, which didn't really surprise Michael. "Uh...is it Ray?"

"Indeed." Pat said. Michael let out a curse of surprise.

"Told you!" Ray boasted. Ryan rolled his eyes at the younger man's joy.

"Listen," Ryan began. "we don't know how he became..." He gestured to Pat. "this...but we have to tell the others about him, and figure out how to make it be...dead again."

"What?" Pat gasped. "Do not try to kill me, you peasants! I will have your heads before you have me!"

"Well at least then we'd be on the same level." Ryan mumbled. Michael held in a laugh at Ryan and Pat's squabbling. 

"Anyway..." Ray redirected the conversation. "Let's wait until Gavin, Geoff, and Jack come back before making the decision of what to do with him."

They agreed that was the best thing to do. Ryan made a good point that they should ask the head questions, maybe find out a bit of a backstory to him.

"So..." Michael began, taking another sip of his almost gone stew. He and Ray sat on Ray's bed while Ryan sat on Ray's wooden chest. They all collectively looked at Pat, the center of attention. "Do you know why you can fucking talk?"

"I know as much as you do." Pat stated. "Maybe a little more when it comes to educational standards, but-"

"Do you know how your head came off?" Ray asked to mainly stop another petty argument. 

Pat thought about it for a little. "A ruthless battle between my comrads, us on horseback, and the monsters. Creepers, Endermen, Spiders, Zombies..." If the head could shudder, it would do it then. "I saw my buddies all go down swinging. Then, a zombie with an iron sword, how he got it is beyond me, attacked. My horse and my body left me, the head, on the battlefield."

"That's um..." Ryan sat there, unsure of that to say. "unfortunate."

"Yes, kilt wearing one." Pat said sarcastically. He rolled his blue eyes. "Unfortunate."

"Well, were you always conscious?" Michael asked, a bit more interested. "Like in a coma state?" He put his empty bowl to the side.

"Yes." Pat smirked. "Maybe you are smarter than I expected, red haired one."

"It's more of an auburn..." Michael touched and felt his hair under his bear hood, talking more to himself. Ray sighed.

"Maybe we should keep you." Ray smiled. "You seem like you aren't too much trouble."

"I'm still skeptical about how much trouble he is." Ryan frowned. Pat sighed.

"I understand it's hard to trust a talking head with no visible vocal cords," He admitted himself. "and I also understand that I do tend to wise crack..." He shifted his vision to Ray. "But I'm still going to be in a coma-like state if I go back to being motionless. I would still be alive, just... less so."

"So, if we somehow return you to your before state..." Ryan tried to simplify. "Then you'll be still sentient, just hibernating?"

"Yes, thank you for dumbing it down, big one." Pat said, annoyed. Ryan frowned and let out a noise of annoyance as well. It was growing apparent that they were not going to get along.

Ray began to approach it as if he had to take care of an animal. "Do we have to feed you?" 

"I suppose not, since it would go through my mouth and cause a mess under me." Pat said wisely. "A bath would be fine, though. I'd like to be cleaned once and a while. Also, entertainment is a bit nessasary." Perceval climbed on top of Pat's head, and Pat's face was painted in the color of annoyance. "A feline can only be so riveting."

They continued to talk about conditions of living, and Ray, Ryan, and Michael decided it was at least kind to tell Pat about them and Achievement City.

"You know me, Ray." Ray said obviously. "The guy in the kilt is Ryan, and Michael is the one in the yellow shorts." He pointed them out. Michael waved while Ryan nodded. "You're in downtown Achievement City. It's where we live. We're, so far, the only people in this world." Ray stopped to think about that. "Except for one girl, Lindsay, who prefers to live in the wild." 

"I see." Pat said, interested. "Anything new that I should know about? Creatures... materials... I was from a time long ago."

"There are rabbits in the landscape, if you did not know about that." Ryan offered. "There are a few new gadgets that we discovered could be made as well." 

"Rabbits... interesting." Pat said to himself. "So, what do you do here, in... Achievement City?"

"We survive, mostly." Michael shrugged. "Which is hard to do when you're up fucking tossing and turning while you hear skeletons walking and zombies looking for prey."

"We have weekly games." Ray added. "Every Friday, we participate for four gold blocks to put in front of our house to show we were victorious. It's more of a trophy for a week."

"We play for the gold blocks, the Tower of Pimps, each week." Ryan finished Ray's thought. "If that's not going on, hunting for food and building new things keeps us occupied."

"Sounds a bit juvenile, but it's better than nothing." Pat sighed. It was mid afternoon then, and Ryan heard footsteps approaching. He looked out of Ray's door window to see who was coming.

Jack, Gavin, and Geoff were on their way back from their morning of building, all with different items in hand and their Inventory in the other. Ryan swung open the door. Ray and Michael watched.

"Hey, guys!" He called to them. They all turned their heads. "Come over here, we gotta show you something!"

"If this is some bullshit trick..." Geoff said to himself.

"But I'm TIRED." Gavin groaned to the older man. Ryan shook his head.

"You've GOT to!" Ryan told them. "It's urgent!" 

"Urgent?" Jack was concerned. Usually Ryan only took his work this seriously. He began walking to Ray's house. "What's up?"

"You'll see." Was all Ryan disclosed.

When the other guys got to see, hear, and witness Pat the Head in action, there were mixed feelings.

Geoff immediately laughed. He laughed out of absurdity, he laughed out of nervousness, but mostly, he laughed because of the look on Gavin's face.

Gavin was genuinely scared. He shrieked out a "Bloody Hell!" Before hiding behind Ryan. Gavin wasn't that fond of supernatural occurances, like the super charged creepers he's only heard about and the Wither which he encountered once. It was frightening to him, the things that couldn't be explained very much, and Pat was exactly that. He didn't know how else to feel about the talking head except that it was some sort of Nether demon of some sort.

Jack simply thought Pat was awesome. He did widen his eyes a bit when the accent-having head talked, but otherwise, he smirked and kept on repeating how cool it was. He even laughed when Pat made another joke about Ryan, who you could tell was not on the best side with Pat.

"We wanted to know what you guys wanted to do with him." Ray finally told them as the head and the three got to know each other. "Should we keep him? Kill him? Make him go back to the way he was?"

"If I die, you're coming with me!" Shouted the head at Ray. Ray put up his hands to show friendliness.

"Hey, calm down..." Ray said. "Besides, you're already dead."

"Don't remind me."

Geoff chuckled. "I say we keep him."

"What?!" Gavin squeaked from behind Ryan. "N-no way! He may be some sort of Nether spawn!"

"If all dudes with a British accent were Nether spawn," Michael began. "Then you'd have half a face like a zombie pigman and feel at home when close to lava." The warrior smirked when Gavin shot him a look.

"Real funny, Michael." He said annoyed. Michael stuck his tongue out at the Brit, who did the same.

"Anyway," Jack diverted their attention from the idiots. "Let's keep him. I like him."

"You sure?" Ryan asked. He honestly wanted the wise cracking fuck out of his life. "I mean, Gavin could be right..."

The Brit looked back at Ryan at the mention of his name. "Bloody yes, I'm right!" Gavin stated. 

"Nope." Geoff shook his head. "Boss' orders. We keep Pat." 

"But-" Ryan was about to interject.

"BOSS' ORDERS." Geoff loudly announced. 

Pat laughed a triumphant laugh. "Ha ha! I love to see another day!"

"Like I said... you're already dead..." Ray smiled.

"I- wha-" Gavin interrupted himself multiple times before just coming to a dead stop. He turned to stare at Pat, who stared back. Then, the head gave an evil grin. 

Gavin high tailed it out of there.

Jack shrugged at Gavin's behavior. "What a jackass."

"Tell me about it." Geoff said, rolling his eyes. 

When people cleared out of Ray's house with goodbyes and good lucks, Ray was still sat on the edge of his bed. Perceval curled up beside him.

"So... what's this about you being called Reginald?"


	3. What the Night Brings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael's journey into the dark and dangerous forest... for a friend, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of my favorite chapters to write so far.

It was winding down into evening one day, and Michael and Lindsay burst out of the forest. They were both running for Achievement City like they were being chased.

The only thing that chased them were the taunts and laughs exchanged that the wind carried.

"I'm gonna win!" Lindsay shouted. 

"Oh, fuck no!" Michael shouted too. "I'm almost there!"

She actually was winning, however. She had a foot or two distance between her and her best friend, and he was at his top speed. 

When she set the first foot on the soft logo, Lindsay screamed triumphantly. "Yes! Yes, I beat you, bitch!" She danced around happily, her bird hood hopping up and down, and then falling to reveal her red velvet hair. 

Michael came shortly after, bending over to catch his breath. He wasn't the best runner. He mostly used upper body strength for combat. The man pushed his bear hood off and smiled at Lindsay. He always thought she was cute when she was happy. 

Michael always thought she was cute in general.

"Yeah yeah, you won." He bent back over to catch his breath more. "Son of... a... bitch..."

"Woah! Language." She jested before going over to him and patting him on the back. "Don't worry, you'll only have to hunt and bring me food in the morning for a week. It's not like it's a month."

"I'm not the best hunter." The man admitted before standing up. "I kill things, but I don't have the precision of Gavin, or the carefulness of Jack."

"Food is food." She shrugged. Lindsay smirked at his friend, and before leaving, she kissed him on the cheek. It caused his pale cheeks to blush, which he cursed in his mind.

"I'll get you something tonight!" He called to her as Lindsay began to leave. She turned.

"Isn't that a bit dangerous, to hunt at night?" She asked.

"Nah." He waved her off. "It's fine. I'm a warrior, I can handle monsters." He flexed his muscles, which caused Lindsay to laugh.

"Careful, my noodle-armed warrior!" She joked before turning around and beginning to walk into the forest again. "You know where my camp is!" 

"Yup!" He smiled as she walked away. When the shroud of the forest covered her, his smile faded.

How the fuck was he gonna hunt during the night?

Ryan was in his house that evening. He was finishing up the newest potion he had been planning to present to the guys in due time.

The blood orange potion, which he named the Potion of Hopping (the name needed some work), was to strengthen the user's legs so he jumped higher. It could help people leap over enemies, trees, rivers! 

He had just finished perfecting the potion when a knock on his door startled him. He almost knocked over and broke the bottle that held the new concoction, and the heart attack he had before realizing he hadn't gave him the idea to store the liquid in a safe place.

"Ryan? I um... are you there?" Oh, it was Michael. Ryan got up from his work station, and went to his door. He opened it to the worried, shy look of Michael. Usually, he looked the opposite. What was wrong?

"Hey." Ryan leaned against his door frame. "What's up?" 

"I need your help." He truthfully admitted. Ryan smirked. His help? He was glad to give it. Ryan opened the door more for Michael to come in. When he did, the older man closed the door. Edgar mooed from underneath them.

"Don't mind him." Ryan told him. "He's been a bit of a prick lately." 

Michael cocked an eyebrow. "I didn't know cows could be pricks." 

"You'd be surprised." Ryan chuckled. He sat on his work stool while Michael stood. "Have a seat on my bed."

"No... this'll be quick..." Michael reassured him. "Uh, let me just fucking say it then. There's that girl... um, you know Lindsay?"

"Of course." Now it was Ryan's turn to raise an eyebrow and smirk. "Who doesn't?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah yeah, of fucking course." He scratched the back of his head before continuing. "Well like, we were talking and stuff, and I-"

"I know what this is about." Ryan stood up, and Michael backed up to make space. "You need lady help."

Michael was instantly mortified. "What? Ryan, I-"

"No no," Ryan interrupted. "no need to make excuses. We all know how much you and her like each other. You just don't know how to ask her out." He took Michael by the shoulders, which caused the lad to jump slightly by the touch. Him and Ryan never really touched. Like, ever.

"Ryan-" Michael tried to explain again, but Ryan, again, cut him off.

"You just have to hold her close..." Ryan moved his hands down to Michael's arms and pulled him a step closer. "Then, you look into her eyes, smile..." Ryan smiled. And say, 'I want to be with you forever, and all through that time, I want us to be more than just friends.'"

"Ry-"

"And then you have to lean in, purse your lips, and-"

"RYAN!" Michael shouted. Ryan looked at him. "What. The. Fuck."

"Uh..." Ryan let go of Michael. "What? I was explain-"

"I was TRYING to say that I need a night vision potion to go and hunt for food for her." Michael finally got to tell the older man. "I lost a race, and that was the deal. Hunter each other food each day, at least three meals per day, for a week."

"...oh." Ryan put his hands on his hips. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"But-"

"I'll get them ready for you." Ryan told him, and immediately opened his cabinet of many potions. Michael only watched as Ryan spoke to himself only and traced his finger over every bottle. Finally, the man held three bottles in his arms. Giving them to Michael, Ryan stood back and began to explain the potions. "These are Potions of Night Vision. They are destined to work for thirty minutes at a time, so estimated, you have an hour and thirty minutes to use it. You have to drink it for it to work. It'll enhance your sight so you can see in dark places, like night, for the period of time appointed to it. Once it is done, the effects will fade until you are, again, in the dark." He finished with a nod and smirk.

Michael rolled his eyes. "Thanks Ryan, but I think I can be out of the forest in an hour." Michael handed a potion back. Ryan took it and shrugged.

"Your funeral."

Later that night, when the moon was out and high and the stars twinkled restlessly, Michael finally mustered the courage to go and hunt. He had the two potions in his small Inventory, a sack that was attached to his belt and pretty small. The small bottles fit in easily, and Michael even slipped in an apple, in case he felt hungry.

Taking his stone sword (because, c'mon, why waste his diamond one?), Michael came out of his house. The city was quiet. You could hear soft snores from Jack in his house while in another, someone shifted noisily. 

Michael snuck out of the city and more into the snowy terrain. It wasn't too cold for him. The fur from his hood and shirt made him remain warm.

He took out the Night Vision potion and drunk it quickly. It tasted like grape medicine and mint, but nonetheless, he didn't gag or complain. All he did was cough a bit after and throw the bottle to the ground. His vision blurred a little, then began to sharpen and brighten. It suddenly felt bright as evening, a slightly yellow glow to everything around him. 

Michael took his sword out and began hunting. He tried his best to remain quiet, but somehow, it felt like everything had heard him and scampered away. Michael felt himself becoming frustrated as ten minutes became twenty, then twenty five. How damn hard was it to get the girl he liked a nice meal?

Something moved behind a tree, and then an arrow whizzed past Michael's ear. A skeleton archer immediately emerged from behind said tree, aiming directly at the warrior. Michael held his sword in position, and charged at the skeleton.

With a swift motion, he disarmed the skeleton. With another, he beheaded the creature. It and it's weapon disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Something exploded near Michael, causing him to be blown back and hit a tree. A creeper, no doubt.

"Damn it." He got off the tree and held his back. It hurt like a bitch, but Michael didn't have time to whine. Another skeleton's arrow pierced the bark behind the man. It came into view. Shooting at the warrior mercilessly, the skeleton's bones made noise as they hit each other when it reached for another bow.

Michael lunged at the creature, slashing at it, trying to land a successful blow. Only then did he realize that he should've drunk another potion. The light began to fade, and suddenly, he felt like he his eyes were useless. The moon didn't even shine through the amount of leaves and branches above Michael. The skeleton, eventually, did disappear, but not before landing an arrow on Michael's shoulder.

The warrior hissed at the pain, and screamed when he pulled it out. The man always did carry bandages for when this happened, but first, he needed to take a swig of the potion to even SEE what he was working with.

When he did so, and his vision lit up again, Michael saw that the wound was pretty moderate. It didn't look as bad as it felt, but it wasn't exactly a papercut. Bandaging the wound, Michael sighed as he looked around. All of thought, and no animal meat yet.

Fucking beautiful.

He groaned in frustration. Michael's luck better be turning up soon, or else he'd go, by Gavin's words, "mental".

Michael began looking again, and within five minutes, he saw and claimed a chicken. At least it was something.

Stuffing the chicken in a sack that he planned to use for game, Michael began looking again. Ten minutes later, he had two pieces of pig meat and a rabbit to call his own.

Things were looking up for him. 

The man stretched after a while, and was about to try and find Lindsay's camp when an Enderman appeared in front of him.

"Holy shit!" Michael cried, surprised and frightened. The Enderman paid him no mind, but just walked to the left, a mound of dirt in his hand. Michael stood there, pretty in awe that the creature didn't attack him. Endermen weren't always hostile, so it wasn't too much of a shock. The warrior shook his head and continued to look for Lindsay's camp. He knew he needed to find it quickly, because the potion was going to wear off any moment now.

When it began to, Michael was in the most unfortunate of positions.

A spider was coming for him, and a creeper was behind him.

He began to lose the vision quicker than last time, and he was plunged into darkness.   
All he heard was the hiss of the spider and saw it's glowing red eyes. Michael swung, and the sword connected with the spider, who disappeared. Behind him, Michael heard the warning hiss of the creeper. Spinning around, Michael backed away from the hissing. The creeper blew up, but Michael was already far enough not to be affected. He turned and ran, just in case any of the other monsters came running.

Slowing down to a walk, Michael saw a light. It wasn't from the moon, it was from a fire. It HAD to be Lindsay's camp!

It was confirmed that it was when she let out a yelp.

"Lindsay?" He called out.

"Michael?" She said before grunting. Michael heard sword against bone. There must be monsters there.

The warrior took off running towards the light. He broke through the trees to see Lindsay swarmed by four monsters. Two zombies tried to grab her while she battled a skeleton, and a spider was nipping at her feet.

"Michael, what are-" The woman couldn't finish her thought before a zombie bite her. Zombies couldn't really affect the humans. They only hurt them. She shrugged the monster off and hissed from the pain. Blood came out of the wound. 

Michael went into the fray, throwing the zombie that bit her to the ground and plunging his sword through its chest. When he turned, he saw that she had finished off the skeleton, and was now battling the zombie. The spider came at Michael and knocked him down, but the warrior threw the creature off and killed it with one swift swing.

When the monsters were done for, Lindsay and Michael looked at each other, panting. Lindsay became concerned.

"What're you even doing here?" She asked, curious. Michael sighed and took out the sack of game he had. Opening it, he showed Lindsay. She seemed surprised.

"I came to fulfill my promise." He smirked. She smiled.

"You idiot." The red head sat by her fire, and patted the ground next to her. "Come on, let's have a midnight snack."

"I'm pretty sure it's after midnight..." He joked. Michael sat next to her, and they began to take out the food and cook it over the fire. They talked about the forest, earlier, and Michael's adventure to find the food.

"I just-" Lindsay interrupted herself with a yawn. They lay on the warm ground then, food eaten, the night about to become day soon. They had talked the night away. "I guess we should sleep."

"Yeah." He laid there, looking at her. "I guess."

He laid on his back, a hand behind his head, since that was how he usually fell asleep. He tensed up, however, when Lindsay laid her head on his chest to sleep. Michael hadn't been expecting that at all.

He blushed slightly, but felt her breathing soon become even. Lindsay was fast asleep. And soon, with a smile on his lips, Michael was too.


	4. Both Here and There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin's not-so-irrational fear was always present. He hated the unexplained.  
> So, how was he supposed to handle Ray's ghost when Ray wasn't dead?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter for me to write, because it helped explain more about a character, and add another (non living) character to the story. Hope you enjoy it!

Gavin, as always, hated supernatural things. It always irked him. It scared him half to death when he met Pat the Head, the now talking, blinking, alive version. He always tried to shake off the weirdness of how his arrows could make monsters catch fire when his bow was enchanted. The Brit even felt nervous drinking potions, and hated the feeling of them actually beginning to work.

It just didn't make sense to him.

So, that morning, Gavin was, he'd admit, a bit scared to visit Ray. He liked paying his friend visits and talking to him, sure. He was the X Ray to his Vav, anyway.

The presence of Pat the Head, though... the British man didn't know how he'd handle it.

Wrapping his creeper-styled scarf around his neck after he put on his green t shirt, Gavin decided to leave his weapon at home. He wasn't planning on doing anything reckless, so why the need?

Gavin approached Ray's house. He heard Pat's British accent, and hesitated before knocking. "Um, Ray?" He rapped his knuckles on the door twice. The talking ceased, and Ray opened the door. He smiled at his friend.

"Hey, Vav." He joked. Gavin chuckled, but it faded away when he saw Pat. The head stared at him with his piercing blue eyes. Gavin gulped.

"H-hey Ray." He stammered. The Brit nodded at the head. "Pat."

"You're shaking like a leaf." Pat smirked. He knew that Gavin felt uneasy around him, and wanted to use it to his advantage. Gavin blinked at his remark.

"A leaf?" He tried to stabilize himself, clasp his hands together to stop the slight shaking. Ray didn't notice. He simply let Gavin take a seat on his bed while Ray stood against the wall.

"I don't bite green clad humans." Pat grinned maliciously. "Usually."

Gavin's eyes widened. "Ha, funny." He didn't even let out a hint of a laugh. He looked towards his friend, who was confused. Ray couldn't tell how nervous his British friend was. He never knew about Gavin's fear of the supernatural. 

"Hm." Was all Ray said. Gavin and him talked about the upcoming game for the week, Ryan's cow Edgar, and how Geoff's house was due for renovations, before Gavin let out a scream like no other.

There, next to his comrad, was a second Ray.

They were talking, normal and totally fine, and then all of a sudden, Gavin looked away and looked back to TWO Rays.

"Gavin!" Ray shouted in surprise from the Brit's scream. The second Ray said nothing. He only stared at Gavin with a dead expression. "The fuck is the matter with you?"

"I-I-" Gavin couldn't even muster another word. He simply pointed to the space next to Ray. Ray looked to his left, where he pointed, and saw nothing.

"What the hell's wrong?" Ray was concerned. 

Gavin opened and closed his mouth a few times before forming words. "There- I...?" He squeaked. "There's another you!"

The second Ray continued to stare at Gavin. He looked paler and pretty transparent. Still, Gavin could see him. So how come Ray couldn't?

"Another me?" Ray was deeply concerned for the British man. Was he going insane? "Gavin, I'm right here." He waved his hand to the empty space to his left.

Gavin gasped. Ray's hand went through the other Ray. "It-it's some sort of... of GHOST!" He shouted.

Ray's brow furrowed. "Dude, ghosts don't exist. Plus, I'm not dead." Ray put his hand down. Gavin stood and went up to the staring, motionless Ray.

"He's absolutely bonkers." Pat was convinced. The head couldn't even see what Gavin was talking about. 

The British man stared at the ghost of Ray, trying to stop his heart from beating so fast. Then, slowly, he put his hand through what seemed like the illusion.

His hand felt ice cold.

Quickly pulling it away, Gavin held his hand and squeaked. Ray only stared at him, with a squint of complete confusion and uncertainty. 

Seriously, was Gavin insane?

Gavin immediately looked back up at Ray and smiled shyly. He knew he had just looked like the biggest idiot ever. "I-I gotta um... go." He ran out of Ray's house, not even closing the door behind him.

Gavin stood in the middle of the Achievement logo, trying to get that image out of his mind as he rubbed his still cold hand. What had he just seen? It was like nothing else he's ever experienced in the world.

The British man sighed. It had to be a trick of the mind, right? Maybe he was just a bit too tired, and saw double. 

But, just to double check, he should go ask Geoff about it.

Knocking on the oldest man in the city's door, he couldn't help but stare up at the tallest building in that world. He couldn't see the top at all, and he was proud of his and the entire city population's work. They had all collectively worked on it, and to celebrate, they had a feast at the top.

Ah, good times.

Geoff opened the door, wearing a gray T shirt with his armor pants. He didn't really wear all his armor at home, especially if it was morning.

"Hey, Geoff." Gavin greeted. Geoff stared at him.

"Something's wrong." The mustached man guessed. Gavin didn't exactly come to hang out in Geoff's house. He usually hung out with him outside of the city. 

Gavin nodded slightly. "It's about... supernatural things..." Geoff knew about the man's fear. He and Ryan were the only ones that did. Ryan needed to know so he could try to lower the effects of potions for Gavin.

"Come in." Geoff left the door open for Gavin to enter. The Brit closed the door behind them. Geoff was sat on his stone floor. He didn't really have seats, so he did this often. Gavin sat with him, fixing his dark green pants so he was comfortable. "So, what's the problem this time?"

"I'm not even sure what it is..." Gavin ran a hand through his sandy brown hair. "I just... Ray..."

"Ray's talking head bothering you again?" Geoff asked. He went to his storage and took a bottle of water out for himself. He held it up to see if Gavin wanted one. His friend shook his head.

"No thanks." He sighed. "It's not the head... well, he does still bother me, but..." He put a hand over his face, rubbing his eyes. "He has this... this twin... or something."

"Twin?" Geoff sat down again. "I'm pretty sure Ray doesn't have a twin." He drunk from his water bottle. "This would've tasted better if we had made more alcohol..."

"I... I KNOW that," Gavin tried to explain. "But, there was this SECOND Ray. He just, like- I don't know... stared at me while the actual Ray was talking. He was like... a ghost..."

"A ghost Ray." Geoff was interested. "Ray isn't-"

"Dead, I know." Gavin looked up at him. "But I don't know how else to explain it. He looked like a motionless, non floating ghost. It was terrifying." He held out his hand. "Here, feel my hand."

Geoff's brow furrowed. "Uh...?" Holding the lad's hand, his eyes widened a bit. "Wow, that's cold as dicks, dude."

"That was the hand that went through the... ghost." Gavin admitted. He pulled his hand away. "I'm... I'm kind of scared, Geoff."

"Aw~" Geoff teased. Gavin blushed and chuckled at his teasing.

"Stop it!" He kicked the man's knee. "I'm serious!"

"I know..." Geoff sighed. "Just try to stay calm. Maybe it's nothing more than your mind playing tricks on you."

"Hopefully." The Brit smirked.

Later, in the dead of night, Gavin was asleep. He was having dreams of shooting arrows at moving targets when a cold presence woke him suddenly. The man woke up, and sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes. He looked to his right.

Ghost Ray's gray, dead eyes stared at him.

"Woah!" He shouted, falling out of his bed. The ghost continued to keep his eyes on him.

Gavin scrambled to stand. He had one hand over his heart and the other cold one on the wooden part of his bed. Ray's ghost didn't move. He just simply stared at Gavin. 

It creeped Gavin the hell out.

"Hey... um..." Gavin tried to shake off the creepiness. Maybe if he tried to talk to it like a person, it's wouldn't be so bad. "What's up?"

No sound came from the ghost.

Gavin felt himself begin to shudder. His hand still cold from earlier, it felt like pins and needles were in it. "Nothing's up?" He closed his eyes and opened them again. The ghost was still there.

The man inched away from said ghost, towards one of his many paintings. He then disappeared behind the painting, into his secret room. Sitting down in one corner, by the Towers of Pimps, he pulled his knees up to his chin. At least there, he was away from the ghost.

All he had to do was blink once, and the ghost was there.

Gavin squawked in surprise, and the ghost stared at him, basically trying to take his soul with his eyes. Ghost Ray and Gavin stared at each other for a long time, neither leaving their spot. The thing was stood no more than two feet away from the man, not moving. Gavin suddenly ducked his head, shutting his eyes tight and curling his knees closer into himself. He just prayed and hoped the sun will rise again. 

He just prayed and hoped the ghost will go away.

The next morning, Geoff asked Michael where Gavin was.

"No idea." Michael responded, equally concerned. They all were up, but Gavin hadn't came out of his house. Geoff sighed.

"I wonder if he's still fucking sleeping." Geoff said out loud. Michael shrugged.

"I'll go check for you." He offered. "And then I'll bring him to you."

Geoff smiled. "Thanks."

Michael jogged over to Gavin's house. The stone structure was always a decieving one. You'd never be able to tell that there were hundreds of paintings in there.

He rapped on the door. "Gavin?" He knocked again. "Gavin, if you're fucking sleeping, I swear..."

He opened the door. Gavin's bed was empty, and the covers were crumpled on the floor. Michael looked around the room for his friend, but there was no trace. Where could he be?

Michael looked behind the bed, nothing.

He came out of the house and looked behind it, nothing.

Finally, the warrior remembered the secret room. Going back inside, Michael removed the painting that covered the secret area and opened the door.

Gavin, curled up, refused to look up. He had been awake the whole night, face buried in his knees, too scared to look up again and most likely see his fear.

"Gavin?" Michael said. The sudden sound caused the British man to jump. He finally looked up. Instead of seeing the ghost, Michael stood in from of him, face painted with concern. "What're you doing here?"

"I-um..." He didn't know how to explain it. Michael went closer, and held out a hand to help him up. Gavin looked down, but still took the hand that helped him up. Standing up, he looked at Michael.

He was genuinely confused. "What the fuck is going on?" Michael scratched underneath his chin. "You're acting stranger than usual, and why were you in here in the first place?"

"I..." Gavin sighed. "I stayed here for the night."

"What?" Michael said. "Why?"

"...I'll let Geoff explain it." He said. "Just, please don't make fun of me." He was actually getting really nervous. Would Michael think he was ridiculous? Stupid? 

"I don't understand." Michael admitted. "But okay."

Suddenly, Gavin hugged him. "Thanks."

"Um, sure..." He hugged his friend back. Whatever was bothering him, it must've really messed him up. "Let's go talk to Geoff. I still want to know what's going on."

They did, indeed talk to Geoff. While the older man explained Gavin's undying fear of the unexplainable, Gavin slowly began to be less and less comfortable as Michael understood more and more about his friend.

"So, when he saw Ray's 'ghost'," Geoff used air quotes. "he got spooked. I don't know what happened last night, though. Why were you in your secret room?"

"It came into my house." Gavin explained. He shuddered, remembering the cold eyes and rubbing his still cold hand. "I tried to get away from it, but it followed me into the trophy room. It was so creepy, so I couldn't sleep. I just closed me eyes and hoped for it to go away."

"But you should've called me." Geoff told him. 

"I-I was too scared!" Gavin exclaimed. "It was so freaking mental, I just-"

"I get it." Michael nodded. "If a creepy fucking ghost was staring me down, I wouldn't want to move either."

Gavin relaxed when Michael said that. "Yeah."

Geoff sighed. "It may still be around here. I just don't understand why I and the rest of us can't see it."

"When Ray said he couldn't see it, I got really concerned." Gavin admitted. "I thought it was...haunting me or something."

"Haunting you?" Michael smirked. "That's a bit unrealistic."

"A GHOST is unrealistic!" Gavin threw up is hands. Geoff shrugged in agreement.

"Well..." Geoff began. "Whatever it is, let's just hope it'll leave Gavin alone. I don't need him having bags under his eyes every day. We have building to do."

"Yeah." Gavin smiled. Michael put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"C'mon, let's go over to my house. I'll give you something to eat." He offered. Gavin's eyes lit up.

"Yeah, that sounds nice." The Brit smiled at the warrior. They said bye to Geoff, and began walking to Michael's house.

"Maybe you'll see my ghost too."

"Oh, come off it."


	5. Team Same Voice Adventure!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Ryan get into a bit of trouble when traveling to the 'other' world...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love team Same Voice! So this was a cool one to do, especially since I got to try my hand at more action.

Jack had emerged from his comfortable house in the afternoon, scratching his head and holding his diamond pickaxe in another hand. The man had been planning to go mining for some coal and iron, and today seemed like as best a day as any. His pouch had a few torches and a carrot in case he got hungry.

What he didn't expect to see was a battle between Lindsay and Ryan.

"Just give up!" Ryan shouted at her, their iron swords pushing against each other to knock the other unbalanced. 

Lindsay wasn't letting up. "Never!" She said back, pushing as hard as she could. Ryan, however, took the oppurtunity to remove his sword from hers. She stumbled forward at the absence of the weight, and he swept her off her feet with his sword. Lindsay landed on the ground. She turned over to see Ryan's sword pointing at her.

"Ha!" He triumphantly laughed. She rolled her eyes.

"Good one." She said as he helped her up. Lindsay dusted herself off, and fixed her yellow shorts and red bird hoodie. "I guess you can have it..."

"Glad to see we kept our deal." Ryan smirked. Jack suddenly noticed the package that was to the side, and Geoff shaking his head at them.

"Who knew these idiots would duel over a fucking pie..." The older man grumbled. Jack laughed at that as he came down his stairs.

"Pie, you say?" Jack said, interested.

Ryan took the pie and held it close, defending it. "Oh, no way. Mine."

"Damn it." Jack playfully cursed. "I was hoping I could battle for it too." 

"Well, I should go pay Ray a visit." Lindsay sighed. "He deserves one, anyway."

"Tell him I say hey." Jack said. She waved before heading over to the rose guy's dirt house. Ryan went up to Jack as Geoff went to go hunt.

"Hey, wanna do me a favor?" Ryan asked. Jack raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"What kind of favor?"

Ryan smirked. "Want to come with me to the Nether?" He could already see Jack's face forming a skeptical look. "I'll let you have half if this pie if you do."

"Hmmm..." Jack thought about it. "Okay, fine. But you better not fail on the pie part."

He went back inside to replace his diamond pickaxe with a sword of the same material, attaching it to his hip. Jack walked back out and waited for the other man to come meet him. When he did, Jack saw Ryan had his own diamond sword, along with a few empty bottles and his Inventory.

"What're you going to the Nether for, anyway?" He asked, curious.

Ryan gestured to the bottles in his sack. "I'm going to collect some materials for potions. I'm running low."

"Like nether wart?" Ryan nodded at Jack's question.

"Exactly."

They began to walk to the city's Nether portal, both unsure of where it would land them. Nether portals appeared randomly in the alternate world, and in turn, they had to be careful. They could appear from places as safe as could be to appearing over a lake of lava.

"You wanna go in first?" Ryan asked, gesturing to the portal. The portal's haze seemed to both bubble and curl at the same time.

"Ladies first." Jack joked, throwing a glance at the man's kilt. Ryan rolled his eyes, and went in the portal.

When they both were in the Nether, they found themselves on the surface instead of underground.

They also found themselves too close to a Ghast.

"Watch out!" Ryan took Jack's hand and pulled him away from the portal. A fireball hit the obsidian structure, deactivating the transportation. Jack tumbled backwards, falling on his bum, as Ryan backed up himself.

The Ghast let out a screech that hurt Ryan's ears, firing yet another fiery ball at the two. The standing man hit the fire ball back with his sword with all his might while Jack cried out in alarm.

"Let's go!" Ryan helped his friend up. They scrambled out of there, a fireball hitting and igniting the area they were just in with flame. 

They entered a cave-like natural structure, and both men leaned against the netherrack. Both had stopped to catch their breath from running, and sweat was beginning to form on their foreheads. The Nether was always uncomfortably warm, with the lava being the only 'liquid' in the environment and there being no open sky.

"Well..." Ryan fixed his hair and sighed. "Our portal's gone."

"How long... was that... damn Ghast there?" Jack said, still catching his breath. Ryan looked away guiltily. 

"I may have..." He paused. "accidently attracted it."

Jack looked up at him. "What!?"

"I thought I could get a Ghast tear for a potion, but forgot I didn't really um..." He looked at his friend and sheepishly smiled. "have a bow and arrow."

"How do you fucking forget something like that?" Jack exclaimed. He stood upright now, wiping sweat from his forehead and fixing his glasses. 

"Sorry..." Ryan apologized. Jack folded his arms and rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, let's go look for your precious items." Jack tried to mask that he was annoyed. He didn't really get mad at Ryan. Gavin, all the time. Ray, a few instances. But Ryan? It was a rarity.

Maybe it'll be a bit more common in this situation.

"Alright." His friend nodded in agreement before pointing over a hill. "Usually I find nether wart over that land." 

"Is that all you need?" Jack asked. Ryan shook his head.

"I ALSO need some blaze rods..." He listed. "And a golden nugget... and magma cream."

"So we need to KILL things?" Jack said, annoyed. Ryan sighed.

"That's why I brung you along." He pointed to his friend's sword. "To help." The man shot the bearded man his famous crooked smile. Jack scowled.

"Whatever."

They ventured over the hill to where a few Nether Wart grew. Ryan jogged down to the 'vegetation', if you could call it that, and began taking them out of the ground the putting them into his sack. Jack pulled his sword out, standing at the ready for any monsters. He could hear them, just not see them.

"Alright." Ryan stood straight again, holding the small bag of the ingredient. "We can go now."

"Where to next?" Jack asked with a shrug. 

Ryan looked around. "Maybe we should look for a magma cube first. Then a zombie pigman'll probably have a golden nugget." He continued to look around, and then began walking to the right. Jack followed. "The thing I'm really worried about are the blazes. They sometimes don't drop a loose rod, and they can really mess a guy up." 

"Maybe we-" Jack began. He stopped when he heard a noise, and pulled Ryan back.

"What?" Ryan wasn't sure what Jack's problem was. Then he heard it.

The wet slap of a magma cube hitting the ground.

"It's close." Jack whispered. 

"Yeah." Ryan said. They walked a bit farther and came across the creature. It's glowing yellow eyes stared at them as it tried to hop over and smash them under its weight. Ryan tooked out his sword and tried to swipe at the creature. It hopped out of the way. 

The magma cube towered over the two men. They both slashed at it until it split into two pieces and came at them separately. When those were done for, the tiny ones were small enough to step on. They went with a 'poof', leaving only a magma cream for Ryan to collect.

"Great." He smiled as he stashed the ingredient in his Inventory. "Two down, two to-"

He was interrupted by a squeal from what sounded like a pig. The zombie pigman was calmly walking towards them, non-hostile and not looking for trouble.

Too bad the men had hostile intentions.

"Are there any other zombie pigman around?" Jack whispered, to his friend. Ryan surveyed the area.

"Not that I see." He shook his head. Jack took this as a green light to immediately attack the hybrid monster.

The zombie pigman let out a squeal as Jack slashed at it's back, and the creature turned. It raised the gold sword in its hand over his head to strike down on the builder, but Ryan also slashed at the creature's side. It squealed again, a piece of dangling flesh from its ugly face falling to the ground. Jack let out a sound of disgust.

"Go for the head!" Ryan told his friend as he kicked the zombie pigman. It stumbled, and Jack took the oppurtunity to bury his sword into its skull. The puff of smoke cleared, Jack's sword falling to his side as Ryan picked up and put the gold nugget that fell in his trusty Inventory.

"Phew." Ryan sighed as he wiped his forehead. Although the battle was short and in little need of energy, the unneeded amount of heat in the Nether was enough to cause him to perspirate. 

Jack sighed. "I guess we're-"

He was interrupted by multiple squeals from more creatures. Three zombie pigman, detecting one of their fallen, came around corners, first staring at the intruders before charging at them, golden swords in the air as their hooves stomped the ground flatter than before.

Ryan took the one more towards the left, deflecting the creature's sword as it tried to behead him. Jack kicked one down as another tried to come behind him. He spun around in time to slash at the pigman, who stumbled back, hurt. The one on the ground tried to get up, but Ryan took a step back onto the creature's chest. The man didn't even notice, trying to be on the defense as the ruthless creature in front of him attempted to kill him with strong sword slashes.

Jack grunted when he had to push back the zombie pigman he was battling for the third time, and felt the muscles in his shoulders working more than usual. He wasn't too much of a fighter, but his strength made him a worthy opponent. When the decaying thing tried to regain its posture, Jack kicked it again, to the ground, and stabbed his sword through the zombie's chest. It went with a poof.

The one on the ground had disappeared too, when Ryan kept stomping on it. Ryan landed one last blow to the creature in front of him, and it disappeared. The two men, panting, looked at each other. Ryan picked up two gold nuggets. One hadn't left one behind.

"Well," Ryan coughed. "I guess that's two more than I needed, but it's always good to have extra."

"I guess." The bearded man wiped a speck of blood off his cheek before relaxing his muscles. "What's next?"

"Jack..." His friend gave him an apologetic look. "I'm really happy you came along. You can go home now, if you want." Ryan shrugged. "I wouldn't judge you. This was a bit more shit than you and I anticipated."

"Tell me about it." Jack grumbled.

"What I'm saying is, I can try to get the blaze rods at a later time. I don't want you to get seriously hurt." The man looked away. "Or worse."

"Ryan." Jack went up to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. Ryan looked back at Jack. "We're here already. Why waste time later on when you can get it done now? That makes no damn sense." They smiled at each other.

"I like your thinking, Jack."

"You just owe me more than half of the pie later."

"Damn it."

They continued on, keeping an eye out for a blaze spawner. On they way, they had to duck past a Ghast or two, and work their way out of the sights of magma cubes too. It wasn't much of a deal, so when they reached the blaze spawner, they were both pretty recovered from the last battle.

"Wow, this'll suck." Jack sighed. He always hated getting blaze rods. He pulled out the carrot he had in his pouch from earlier, and took a bite out of it. Ryan gave him a weird look, since he didn't know Jack even had that with him. Jack looked towards him, and then pointed the end he just bit to the man. "Wan' a bite?" He asked with a full mouth.

"Ah, fuck it." Ryan shrugged with a smirk, and took the carrot from his friend. He bit a big chunk of it, giving the rest of the carrot back and chewing as he folded his arms and looked up at the blaze creator. He could hear their dull yet loud clinking of their rods as they groaned as if they were displeased with life.

"Ready?" Jack asked. They were under a low nether brick bridge, and Jack had proposed the idea of boosting Ryan up. Ryan, a bit lighter than Jack, agreed to the idea, and said he would help Jack up after. 

"Yup." Ryan took a few steps back as Jack got on one knee and held his hands in a cupped position. "Aw, you look like you're going to propose." Ryan put a hand over his heart. "I do, Jack."

"Shut the fuck up."

"Fine." Ryan chuckled. He got into a running stance, and took off in a fast run before stepping one foot into Jack's hand. Jack immediately pushed his hand up as Ryan jumped, and the man got a grip on the brick. Hoisting himself up and over, he laid there a bit before getting up and leaning as far as he could over the ledge. Jack jumped, and Ryan groaned as he struggled to help the man up. Using both hands, the kilt-sporting man pulled his bearded companion up. Jack came over the side, and they both now stood above where they were mere minutes ago.

"Well," Jack smirked."that went smoothly."

"Something has to." Ryan grumbled. Jack chuckled at his slightly pessimistic friend. They dusted themselves off and began going towards the blaze spawner. "Now be careful, that blaze creator can make a pretty ruthless amount of blazes."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Ryan, I KNOW." He told him. Ryan kept his mouth shut, feeling a bit dumb for reminding Jack.

They reached near the blaze spawner, and both sighed at the same time, with the same displeasement. The bearded man took a step forward, and the spawner created three blazes.

"Oh son of a-"

Jack couldn't finish his curse, because a blaze had been both coming his way and firing fireballs at him. He rolled out of the way, and took off running after another one. Ryan stepped out of the way of a another fireball, and hit one blaze to the side, going after another one. He attacked it until it went 'poof', dropping nothing. Ryan didn't have time to be upset about it, though, since another blaze shot a fireball at his back, he almost didn't move away in time, his shirt catching fire briefly. 

"Ugh!" Jack grunted as he jumped out of the way and fell on his back. He rolled out of the way when the blaze fired yet another ball of fire at the bearded man. "These damn blazes!"

"I know, right?!" Ryan shouted back as he killed his second one. This one dropped a blaze rod, and he swiped it up immediately, stashing it in his sack. Jack was pressed up against the right ledge of the bridge. A blaze shot a fireball towards him, and he instinctly leaned back. 

"Shit!" He yelled when he leaned too far. The man fell off the bridge and down, down, down to the ground. where he landed was on a lower level than where they climbed up, and when Jack hit the ground, the world around him went dark.

Then, later, it was back to normal.

"Hey..." Ryan shook him. Jack opened his eyes hazily, groaning as his head throbbed. Ryan looked down at him, his blue eyes bright even in the dim atmosphere. "You're not dead."

"Not yet." Jack grumbled. He sat up, and Ryan kneeled down to put a hand behind his friend's back. 

"Hm." He felt the back of Jack's head for an open wound. Jack hissed, but Ryan couldn't find anything wrong so far. "You don't seem to be too banged up. Still moderately fucked up, though."

Jack put a hand on the back of his head. "Yeah, moderately." He, with the help of Ryan, stood up without falling. Apparently, his friend had gotten two blaze rods. One from his own and one from the one Jack was fighting.

"You know, before you almost fell to your death." Ryan smirked. He pointed left. "That was where we came from. I brought flint and steel, so we should be able to ignite it and go through it."

"As long as that Ghast is gone." Jack smiled at Ryan. They began walking.

"Yeah."

The Ghast wasn't gone, actually.

Instead, it was raging and firing fireballs willy nilly.

"Ignite the portal!" Jack shouted for the second time. His arms were getting sore from hitting back fire balls that all missed their target.

Ryan groaned in frustration. "I've almost- there!" The portal ingited, and the fire morphed from fire to purple fire to the surface of the portal, too quick for human eyes to witness play by play. They both jumped into the portal and left the Nether before the Ghast tried to blow them up again.

Stumbling out of the city's own portal, they both panted for air. Ryan collapsed to his hands and knees while Jack leaned on a tree nearby.

"You know, now I'm thinking of just taking that whole pie from you." Jack said before letting out a breath. Ryan got up and looked at him.

"Is that what you're fucking worried about?" He rolled his eyes. Jack smirked.

"What can I say?" He shrugged. "I'm a man that likes to stick to promises."


	6. Find the Tower!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys and Lindsay get into a Friday game of finding the tower. As the game goes on, seems like trouble goes on...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter, it took a bit longer because I wanted to get behaviors and attitudes right by watching their Minecraft Lets Plays and such. I explain a bit more about the physics of their world, so yay to that. And... enjoy and comment!

Geoff sighed. It was Friday morning, the sun blocked by the blocky clouds in the sky. 

Better day than never to start the game.

He put on his suit, which was just washed and shined, and stepped out of his house with hands on his hips as he inhaled the sweet morning air. He spotted Lindsay's red hair in Michael's window. 

Seems like he was up.

Geoff smoothed his mustache and decided to pay the warrior a surprise visit. He strolled over and knocked on the door.

Lindsay turned from her conversation, and Geoff smirked at her when she looked so surprised. Michael looked past her and blushed, sheepishly waving to him from the window.

Michael opened the door. "Hey."

"We're having a game today." Geoff immediately informed him. Michael sighed.

"I know, Geoff." He rolled his eyes. "We only have it every fucking week."

"Oh, you do?" Geoff evilly grinned. "Because is figured something, or someONE, would make you forget." He wiggled his eyebrows as he glanced at Lindsay through the window to his left.

Michael immediately jumped on the defensive. "She was just visiting!" He explained.

"Mmmhm..." Geoff smirked smugly. "You really like her visits, don't you!"

Michael turned red. "No, well yes- well-" He pretended to get angry. "Fuck off, I'll be out in a minute." He grumbled, his blush basically glowing as he shut the door. Geoff chuckled at the lad. 

He went to the other doors, knocking, greeting, and notifying the other Hunters. They all greeted him with sleepy grumbles and sighs.

"Well, they're all hunky dory today." Geoff said to himself as he leaned against the board. Gavin and Jack emerged from their houses at the same time.

"Fuck, man." Jack rubbed his left shoulder. "I'm still sore from when Ryan and I went to the Nether this week."

"Boo hoo." Gavin teased. Jack pretended to hit him with his pick axe. "Aye! I'm only teasing!"

"Girls, girls..." Geoff smirked. "Calm down."

"Yeah." Ryan emerged from his very humble abode. "Whatever Geoff said."

Ray, Michael and Lindsay joined them next. Though the rest didn't see, Geoff swore his eyes caught him and Lindsay stop holding hands before they came to the group. He smirked at the two.

"Alright gents, lads, and thug." He addressed them all. "We are gathered here today to begin our game of the week. We compete for a common goal each week, the Tower of Pimps, to symbolize strength, courage, formality-"

"Hurry it UP!" Gavin yelled jokingly. Geoff sighed.

"If you'd look around, you'd see that our tower has taken a bit of a..." He pondered what to call it. "...vacation... today."

The men and woman looked around. Geoff was true to his word. The tower, formerly on Jack's obsidian podium, was now missing.

"Where is it?" Jack asked in a song song voice.

Geoff pointed to him. "Glad you asked!" He gestured to the landscape to the left of them all. "It's out there, in the wild." He then took a sack from the back of him, and distributed communicators. "This is for you guys to-"

"Listen and talk to each other." Ryan finished. "Geoff, in all honesty, do we really need these introductions? We've been doing this for a while."

Geoff glared at him. "Well, RYAN, I would like to do that since for the rest of the game I DO NOTHING." He yelled. Michael chuckled and Ray even laughed a bit while Ryan only up his hands up in defeat. 

"Fine, you're the boss."

"You're right as dicks I'm the boss."

"So what's the objective?" Linsday asked while she put her earpiece in. 

"It's pretty simple." The mustached man shrugged while putting in his own earpiece. He gave them all tools first, before clearing his throat and announcing the main idea of the game. "Find the tower. Go!"

"Oh shit!" Ray began running out into the landscape. They all did, in fact.

"Idiots." Jack said when they all left. He sighed and began walking calmly to where the rest ran. 

"Tell me about it." Geoff sighed.

"We can hear you, you know." Ryan said to Geoff through the earpiece. It had a microphone attatched to it for the sake of not being bored when looking for the tower.

"Shut up, Ryan."

"Just saying."

Michael groaned. "I can barely hear myself THINK with you fucking morons in my ear!"

"But Michael..." Gavin whined.

"Gavin, you haven't even fucking talked. How was he talking about you?" Geoff sighed. "Just find the tower."

"Yes sir!"

Jack had reached a place nearby a moderately sized mountain, in the snowy part of the world. He shivered slightly as it began to snow. When he looked up, on a ledge, his heart skipped a beat when he gasped.

"You've got to be kidding me." He said under his breath, forgetting about the microphone.

The tower was up there, in its yellow glory.

"What, Jack?" Gavin asked as he ventured through the birch trees. 

"What?" Jack said absentmindedly. "Um, nothing."

"Sounds like Jack found something." Geoff smirked. He took out his special map, which tracked the locations of his friends. He had also marked the location of where he put the tower, and Jack was nowhere near it. "Or did he?"

"Jack's about to find out." The bearded man said. He and the rest of them received an iron pick axe and sword before going out into the wild, so he used that to dig into the rocky surface. From there, he found a foothold on the bottom, and held into the pickaxe's handle for support. Jack then found another foothold, a handhold, and used his pickaxe again to subsitute for a second one.

"I think I see..." Ray stopped as he looked to the mountain. He saw Jack's green shirt and red pants, then spotted the tower, and couldn't help but laugh. "I can't even fucking..."

"What's up?" Michael asked. He had actually secretly met up with Lindsay again, to work together and find the tower. From there, they'd battle it out. They, of course, covered their mics when they discussed the plan.

"All I see is Jack fucking climbing a mountain to some sort of false tower." Ray chuckled.

"False?" Jack said into the microphone. "What do you mean, false?" 

"That means not real, Jack." Gavin stated matter-of-factly.

"Or not true, when discussing true or false questions." Ryan butted in. He had already reached a jungle type area, sighing as another abundant amount of vines got in his way.

"Can you guys just-" Jack couldn't finish his thought, because his pickaxe fell from its hold.

After that went its owner.

Ray doubled over laughing. "That was fucking beautiful."

"Oh, shut up, Ray." Jack sighed as he got up from his bed in Achievement City. 

In their world, death worked very different then most. They couldn't die, exactly. They did get hurt, they did get poisoned, but whenever it got them too hurt, they were sent back to their beds. It was like teleportation. They were laying in the ground in one area, and in a puff of smoke, they were back home. 

It still hurt like a bitch to 'respawn', as they called it. Geoff, Ryan, and Gavin have been trying to figure out how respawning worked for years. Ryan tried to duplicate it, make a Respawning potion, but all it did was lose the test subject in time space. 

Kdin hasn't really returned for a reason.

"At least I didn't lose my sword." Jack smirked at the weapon at his hip.

"Hey, cool, new pickaxe." Ray said as he picked up Jack's. The comment caused Ryan and Geoff to laugh.

"Guys, I seemed to forget to mention that there are false towers." Geoff finally said. 

Ray nodded. "Yup, because the one Jack was after was made of freaking wool."

"Aw, c'mon!" Jack rubbed the back of his neck, where it would've been severely damaged. "That's such BS."

"Daddy's rules." Lindsay smiled as she and Michael walked around a clearing. "Live by them or die by them." She laughed.

"Thanks, Lindsay." Geoff rolled his eyes. "The only person that doesn't live in MY city is the one who actually respects me."

"We respect you!" Gavin exclaimed as he used his skills to scale a tree. He perched on a branch, looking over the leaves, around the massive area. He spotted another false tower, that one being made out of diamond. "Pft, Geoff really got creative with these bloody towers." He climbed down again.

"You're damn right I did." Geoff was in his house now, getting himself something to eat for the morning. Rabbit stew seemed to suffice. 

"Yup." Ryan sighed as he stood in front of a tower with only three gold blocks. "God damn it, Geoff."

Michael was about to pull up Lindsay over a ledge when he heard a voice call to him as the cow keeper and the boss squabbled.

"Michael?" Gavin's British voice sounded behind him. Michael instinctively dropped Lindsay, who hit the ground below her pretty roughly and with a squeak. He turned around and looked up at the lad, since he was sitting down.

"What're you doing?" Gavin asked. He had his bow that he instantly made with wood in one hand, and his hand was halfway to his arrows he crafted right away as well. Michael held up his hands.

"Nothing worth shooting me for, I promise."

Gavin mulled that over in his head before he put his bow back onto his back, secured. The Brit helped his friend up.

"Friends?" He stuck his hand out eagerly. Michael pretended to think about it, then shrugged. He shook Gavin's hand.

"Friends." He smirked. Then his eyebrows lowered enough to make him look evil, and before Gavin could even squawk about how tight Michael's grip was, the warrior drew and swung at Gavin in one swift motion. As soon as the sword connected with Gavin's neck, he went 'poof', and Michael heard British curse words screamed over the earpiece.

"You bloody soggy prick!" Gavin shouted into his microphone as he slammed the door to his house. The rest of the men and woman were laughing at him.

"Am I soggy, Gavin?" Michael picked up the sword Gavin dropped and played with it in his hands. "Because I feel pretty dry."

"You're such a twat."

"Hey!" Geoff said defensively. "Language!" He chuckled after.

"WHERE'S THE FUCKIN' TOWER?!"

"Patience Ray." Ryan said in his smooth, calm voice. "It's key."

"No, I'm with Ray on this one." Jack sighed. "I have no idea where this tower is."

"All you need to do is look for it, guys!" Geoff exclaimed. He sat outside, on the ground, his body leaning against the message board. "It shouldn't be so hard."

"You say that," Lindsay began. "and it's probably gonna be automatically ten times harder."

"Maybe."

"Damn it." She sighed. Lindsay had gotten up by then, and looked up. She shot Michael a glare. He responded with a blush and an apologetic smile. He then helped her up again, this time getting her all the way up the ledge, and they stood up straight before Lindsay pointed to the right. That was the only way they communicated, or the rest of them would catch on to them. Michael shrugged, and followed the woman.

"I'm so lost." Ryan groaned. He'd just arrived to the desert. "Where the fuck am I?" He heard an explosion to his right, and winced. Seems like a creeper had ignited itself. The sand and dust starte to settle again, causing Ryan to cough. "Geoff, am I even close?"

"Hm..." He checked the map, then laughed. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but since it couldn't hurt, no Ryan. Not by a damn chance."

"Damn it!"

"Patience, Ryan." Ray teased. Michael and Gavin snickered. 

"Ray, wherever you are, I'm flipping you off." He said while practicing what he just preached.

Geoff smirked. "Don't you guys sound friendly." He turned his attention to his map, and noticed that Michael and Lindsay's points on the map were close, and moving together. He maliciously smiled. "Seems like an alliance was formed already."

"What's that?" Lindsay asked nervously. She and Michael had both forgotten about Geoff's famous map. The two looked at each other with worried looks.

"So, which two is it, hm?" Geoff asked, though he knew who it was. 

"Well, it's obviously not Michael and I." Gavin grumbled.

"I'm lost on my own." Ryan complained.

"Yeah, me too." Michael said as well. Lindsay shot him a glance before pushing a red hair out of her face.

"I'm pretty lonely here, too."

"Mhm." Geoff shook his head with a smile. "Someone has to be lying. You guys better figure it out."

"Must we?" Jack sassed back.

Gavin spotted movement, and hid behind a tree. Ray was walking calmly in a bright green, vegetated clearing, and then he held his hand out. 

"Uh, it's raining." He said into the mouthpiece. It only took seconds for the one or two drops here to turn into a slightly hindering drizzle, and then full on rain. Gavin's sandy hair turned brown from the water and drooped down. He pushed some out of his eyes and then turned his attention back to Ray, who was exiting the clearing. He followed close behind, getting out his bow out as he did so.

"I'm starting to-" Ryan was interrupted by the clap of thunder. "Yup. It's raining in the desert." The water falling onto him caused the man to stop and give a very unsatisfied expression to no one. He shivered. "Suddenly it got so cold..."

"Ryan's going through a lot of shit lately." Geoff smirked. He had personally taken shelter in his house again, keeping track of them on the map. "Don't catch a cold."

Ryan didn't even bother to respond. He was so fed up already, and it hasn't even been more than thirty minutes.

"Oooh, Ryan's getting snippy." Jack teased.

Michael laughed. "Ryan's getting in a tizzy!" He mimicked Gavin's accent. Lindsay laughed beside him, wearing her hood to protect her from the rain. Michael smiled at her.

The men walked all around, fighting off zombies and boredom with swords and songs. Gavin had cut down Ray, who respawned at his house with a curse and a drier suit.

"Ha, Ray got go-" Gavin was cut off when a skeleton shot him straight in the head. He sat up in his bed, rubbing his skull, where an ache was developing from the arrow that would've been sticking out of his head. "What complete bullshit! You're havin' a laugh!" He shouted. 

"I am, actually." Geoff giggled at his own joke. Gavin sighed and exited his house again. "I'll give you guys another five minutes, and then you'll get a clue."

"If I were a tower, where would I be?" Jack wondered out loud.

"On my obsidian block." Michael immediately said. Him and Lindsay 'oooh'd' before laughing.

"Fuckin' got'em!" Ray shouted into the mouthpiece. 

"Oh, shit!" Michael pulled Lindsay to the left, with him. She stumbled back, her heels digging into the muddy ground, and suppressed a yelp. A creeper had been coming close, and her hood would've got the creature unnoticed if it wasn't for her friend.

"What's up?" Ryan asked Michael. He had found two false towers before finding forest again, and now was just sitting on the muddy ground, under a tree. He was convinced he wasn't going to win, so why even try? 

"A creeper just caught us by surprise." Uh oh. Michael immediately bit his lip and shot Lindsay a panicked look. She glanced at him before taking a sword out on the still approaching creeper, and attacked it.

"Us?" Geoff smirked, suppressing a giggle. 

Michael couldn't help but want to punch Geoff in the face. "Me and the... foilage, of course!" The creeper hissed before being defeated by the forest girl.

"Guys, I think he's up to something." Gavin said. He himself had been looking around for the tower as rain poured, slanted. After three minutes, the British man then let out a squeak of excitement.

The Tower of Pimps, in its all natural, four gold blocked glory.

In the middle of a lava lake, before a ledge.

"Geoff, you piece of shit." He grumbled. Geoff only laughed. He had seen that Gavin reached the tower. Geoff only wondered how he'd retrieve it.

"I guess Gavin found the tower?" Ryan said while getting up and stretching his muscles. "Well, time to kill him." He began walking deeper into the forest.

"Ryan, Jesus!" Gavin cried. "I've respawned way too many times! Spare me."

"Yeah, no." Ryan cracked his knuckles and neck as rain dripped from his hair. "I've been lost for some time now. I need something out of this."

"Ryan's lost his damn mind again." Jack stated. It happened frequently during the games. Ryan sucks ass at it, he snaps, he starts going after people to win in that way. 

Nothing abnormal.

Gavin began his attempts at getting the tower. He scrambled up to the ledge, where he could possibly jump onto and de-mine the blocks. Putting down his bow and arrows just in case they burned in the lava, the Brit took a few steps back for a running start.

"Alright, here goes something..." He sighed before running off the ledge with a squawk before he jumped...

...and landed in the lava.

He respawned at his house. "Oh for the love of..."

The men laughed at him. Geoff's laugh outdid them all. "What a fucking moron!" He said through his giggles.

"Sod. OFF." Gavin said to him. "I was so close..." He said to himself.

"So Gavin knows where the tower is." Jack said.

"Gavin, c'mon." Ryan tried to coax. "I think you'll purely benefit in my winning of the tower."

"Benefit my arse."

"Gavin, please." Lindsay said into her microphone. "Watch your language around the children!"

She and Michael had arrived at Gavin's place of death, and therefore the tower. The two shot each other a look, for them to remember their deal, and they began to work together silently to try and retrieve the Tower of Pimps. The lava bubbled and moved as they tried to find a way to the tower.

Lindsay pointed to the ledge. Michael shook his head, and pointed to the mountain. He motioned with his pickaxe to hint at mining it and making a makeshift bridge. She scowled.

"You're-" She covered her mouth. Then she pointed to the ledge more aggressively, and nodded. Michael shook his head with an equal amount of aggressiveness.

"Michael's gone quiet." Ray noticed. 

Geoff smirked. He saw him and his girl friend at the tower, not moving. "Indeed. You alright Michael?"

"Peachy." He grumbled and looked off to the side before turning back to Lindsay.

Too bad she wasn't there.

He stomped the ground and groaned before looking up at his friend. The rain and wind tore the hood off her head, leaving her hair to turn from a light prominent red to something resembling more of a bloody maroon. She got into a stance just like Gavin's from before, her brown boots digging into the mud a bit. 

"Looks like Lindsay's at the tower." Geoff admitted. He couldn't help it, it was just too amusing.

"Stop her!" Jack exclaimed.

Ryan took out his sword. He had been lurking a bit in the shadows. He wasn't really into winning the tower anymore. All he wanted to do was hinder others from getting it. "On it."

"God damn it, Lindsay!" Michael shouted. She shot him a weak smile, ignoring the bow and arrows Gavin left. 

Lindsay hadn't seen Ryan coming up behind her, but Michael did. 

Ryan didn't see Michael below them, but Lindsay did.

What followed after was just a big mess.

"Lindsay look out!" Michael shouted as his hood slipped and fell off. 

"Huh?" She stood up straight. They had completely forgotten about the not talking thing.

"Michael?" Ryan was a few feet behind Lindsay, looking down at the lad with his iron sword in hand.

Lindsay turned and backed away. "Ryan?"

"What the fuck is going on?" Ray entered the confusion as he entered the area with the lava lake. He saw the whole picture perfectly.

Michael was pointing to Ryan, his other hand used to amplify his shouting. Lindsay had taken a stance, like she was ready to pounce if needed. Ryan had the sword in his hand, holding it tight and ready to swing. 

When he swung once, Lindsay hopped back. A piece of rock fell from the ledge, falling into the lava below. The woman swore under her breath as lightening cracked in the background.

"Lindsay, just go on, jump." Ryan smirked. "Jump into the lava before I get you." 

"Sounds like drama is happening..." Jack commented. He was nowhere near it, but it was amusing to hear. He sat on a slick rock and played with the sword in his hand as he listened, his glasses getting wet with rain.

"Lindsay, just fucking jump!" Michael told her. Another clap of thunder sounded. It was truly a movie moment. "You might make it!"

"Jump!" Ray shouted as well. Lightening illuminated the area.

Ryan took another step closer. "Jump." The man said cooly. He held the sword over his head.

Lindsay took another step backwards, into open air, and fell into the lava pretty quickly.

"God damn it." Michael shook his head while it was in his hands. He then put them up to the sky. "You had one job, Lindsay!"

"Damn it!" She yelled at herself when she sat up and pounded the ground with a closed fist. She spawned back at her camp, in her sleeping bag. Apparently, that was her spawn point instead of a bed like everyone else.

Ryan laughed evilly. "Yes!" He then attached his sword to his hip again, and took out his pickaxe. Gaining speed, the man jumped and landed with a solid 'thud' on the golden block. He de-mined the gold, which became solid small blocks as they did when mined in that world. Storing the blocks in his small pouch, he looked around him. The lava was everywhere, and he was only one guy on an obsidian block.

"Ryan, you piece of shit." Ray smirked. Michael sighed before looking back up. 

More lightening helped the man see Gavin's bow and arrows on the ledge.

"Ray, truce for now?" Michael asked his friend. He jerked his thumb to the handmade weapon. Ray nodded in understanding.

"Truce."

Michael smiled before climbing up to the ledge. He picked up the bow and arrows, and slung the arrow carrier over his shoulder as he saw his British friend do before. Other than that, the sharp shooting art of archery was a whole different experience for Michael that he never bothered to learn about. He plucked the string of the bow with a confused expression.

"Ray, how the hell do you shoot a bow?"

"For fuck's sake, Michael." Ray made the correct motion of shooting a bow. Michael sighed, and tried to follow Ray's directions while Ryan was preoccupied with trying to figure out how his jump to the land would pan out correctly. 

His first arrow was swallowed by the bubbling lava.

The rain didn't help his second arrow either, since that one didn't even make it over the ledge.

"How does Gavin do this?" Michael complained.

"It takes skill, patience, and-" Gavin was explaining before Michael cut him off.

"Shut up, I'm concentrating." He managed to get that third arrow to fly, and it hit on the forearm. It wasn't full of force, so it hardly did stay in the man's arm. He did hiss and pull it out with an 'ow', though.

But all the arrow did was force Ryan to realize that he was wasting time and make that lucky jump onto land.

He didn't have time to celebrate, though; Michael was still shooting at him. Ryan took off running, the pouch with the minimized gold cubes no bigger than a Rubik's Cube (not that they know what that is) bouncing against his thigh as they carried him through the rain and forest. Ray was after him in a flash.

"Ray, go away!" He yelled behind him. 

"No, give me the tower!" Ray shouted back. 

"Ray might get it..." Geoff announced. The toe points on his map was nearing the safe zone, Achievement City. Ray was gaining ground, but Ryan still had enough of a lead to make it.

"Yes!" Ryan ran onto the logo and slowed from that to a jog, then a complete stop. Ray collapsed onto the Achievement City logo, tuckered out from giving chase. Ryan danced around happily, then shivered again from the cold. 

"Okay, guys. Assemble!" Geoff said into his microphone.

"I can't believe it..." Gavin said in disbelief. "You were faffing about in the bloody desert!"

The whole gang was there, standing around Ryan's house just in time. Even Lindsay had to give the evil bastard some props.

"Good job, Ryan." She gave him a thumbs up. "Glad you killing me at least worked out."

He smiled at her. "Thanks, Lindsay. You're such a good friend."

"You're still a prick."

"Understandable."

"Erect your tower, you lucky son of a gun!" Geoff told him.

"1, 2, 3, 4!" They cheered as Ryan now stood proudly on top of the golden structure.

"I am the winner!" He exclaimed happily. He and the rest cheered, and Ray even threw roses at the new victor as the rain poured down. 

Ryan smirked before feeling a tickle in his nose, and sneezing.


	7. Ryan's Sick Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan just had to get sick, didn't he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a very short chapter, mainly because it's for a bit more character building. Ryan, Geoff, Gavin, and Michael reveal a tiny bit more about themselves. Can you figure out what the reveal? Comment what you think!

"God damn, dude." Geoff shook his head at the miserable man. "When I said not to catch a cold... I guess you had to disobey that too."

"I feel fine." Ryan's voice was scratchy and barely audible from his bed. He, in fact, didn't feel fine. He felt terrible. But the facade of him feeling fine might, somehow, trigger him becoming fine.

Hey, it was a psychological thing.

Ryan was, in fact, sick. His eyes were watery, his skin a bit paler, and he was sweating a bit. The man sniffled like a child and coughed enough for it to start sounding like a saw to a tree before settling back down.

"Fine, you say?" Geoff put his hand on his hip. "You're a piece of work, Haywood."

"I'll be making potions for you guys in-" Another sniff. "In no time." Even his speech was stuffy.

"Nope." Geoff shook his head. Ryan tried to sit up more.

"But-"

"You've made us more potions than we could ask for." Geoff shrugged. Ryan's shelves and cabinets were full of the stuff. "I think you deserve a sick day."

"A... sick day?"

"Yeah." The mustached man nodded. "Stay in bed and stuff. Do you want me to get the guys to help you?"

Ryan shook his head. The last thing he wanted was the other guys to see him so... vulnerable. "No, I think I can handle getting around my very small house." He coughed before gesturing to the space around him. It was a pretty small space, but not small enough to only need a few steps to get places. It had a low cieling but wide area. They had expanded ever since he began dabbling in potions.

"Ryan, you sound like a dying ocelot." Geoff said with a sigh. "But I'll believe you." He gave Ryan an earpiece to talk to him through. "Just in case you need anything."

"Thanks." The man smiled before coughing into the crook of his elbow. Geoff left him.

It was the morning after the game, and Ryan had caught a cold from the rain. Even though that's not how a sickness really travels, he simply sighed and accepted that somehow that was tied together.

Ryan attempted to get out of bed. He didn't stand up really until his second attempt, since he was so groggy and out of it. The man was usually a healthy guy. He ate his fruits, went out into nature frequently...

So why did this cold somehow render him useless? 

He sighed, stretched his back, and then doubled over into a coughing fit. The earpiece, still in his hand, wasn't turned on yet. 

Shambling over and placing it on one of his wooden chests, Ryan went to another to retrieve some milk. 

On cue, Edgar mooed from below. He hadn't had anything to eat for the morning, and Ryan's emergency supply of hay had been used up.

"God damn it." His hoarse voice whispered to himself. The man was about to use his earpiece when someone knocked on his door.

"Hello?" Oh for Christ's sake, it was Gavin. One of the people he did NOT want to see him so helpless. 

The man opened the door, but not before wiping his nose and smoothing back his hair as much as possible. "Hello." He strained his voice to be as normal as possible. The man was still his white shirt and striped pants that he considered pajamas, and his usual attire was in the cauldron to be washed from yesterday's whole fiasco.

"Hey, Rye bread." Gavin greeted him. The young man was sporting his usual outfit of the light green shirt and dark green pants, along with black sneakers and his creeper scarf. "Can I come in?"

"Uh-" Ryan couldn't help the coughing fit that came on just then, and turned away from Gavin to do it. Gavin took a step back in surprise.

"Are you okay, Ryan?" He was concerned. "You look a bit... pale."

"I'm fine!" He said hoarsely. "I'm fine." The man sighed. "Why do you want to come in?"

"I just want to take a few potions. You know, swiftness, invisibility, strength..." The Brit listed. "For hunting, of course." Gavin smiled innocently. "So, am I just gonna stand here outside the bloody house or what?"

Ryan sniffled, and rubbed a watery eye of his. "Whatever." He left the door open for the lad to follow him inside. Ryan then got back under his comfortable, warm covers on his bed, forgetting about his milk. "I warn you, I'm a bit sick."

"I can tell, Ryan." Gavin rolled his eyes with a smirk and folded his arms. "It isn't damn rocket science."

"Rocket science isn't that hard." Ryan said with his stuffy voice. He might as well make conversation while he could, even with his throat hurting so much. "It's a few easy equations here and there... oil... some well placed oxygen..."

Gavin shook his head in disbelief. "You're still a nerd no matter how sick you are, huh, Ryan?" The younger man went to the older's cabinets, beginning to pick out the ones he needed. 

"It's something I'm passionate about." Ryan smiled before he coughed. The sick man laid down in his bed, one knee up and one hand behind his head. "Don't you have a passion, besides that bow and arrow of yours?"

"Uh..." Gavin blushed a bit as he took another potion. Nobody's really asked him before. "I do, actually."

"Really? What is it?" Ryan turned his head with a sniffle. His throat was sore and on fire, but the company needed to be appreciated while it was there. 

Now, Ryan really expected Gavin to say something generic. Collecting enchanted bows, making armor, fighting certain monsters. What he didn't expect was-

"Cause and effect reactions." Gavin softly smiled when he admitted it. 

"Hm?" Ryan sat up in his bed, coughing a bit. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, uh..." Gavin set the last bottle he needed on the counter below it. He stopped what he was doing and pulled up a stool from Ryan's work station, which caused Ryan to raise an eyebrow. Gavin stopped. "Do you mind...?"

Ryan shook his head, and laid down again. Gavin sat on the stool next to the man's bed, facing Ryan. He began telling him about his favorite thing to pass time.

"Well, you know how everything has a reaction, right?" Gavin began with. Ryan nodded. "I love to figure out what cause has what reaction. Like, a creeper exploding. Because you're near the creeper..."

"It reacts by defending itself by detonating." Ryan piped in. Gavin smiled genuinely.

The younger man went on about other sciences that they could both talk about, and before he knew it, Michael was knocking on Ryan's door at noon.

"Oh, shit!" Gavin stood immediately. "I've been here for a long time."

"That's alright." Ryan said. In all honesty, the man's voice was about to disappear completely, and it felt to him like sandpaper to an open, bruised wound, but it wasn't the Brit's fault. He had been the one to coax the man into sharing his scientific thoughts. The man, realizing that his voice was pretty much butchered, only pointed to the bottles on the counter.

Gavin nodded. "Right." He put the bottles in the Inventory he carried there and went to open the door.

"Gavin?" Michael asked curiously. "What're you doing here?"

"What else can I be doing here?" The British man shrugged before holding up the sack of bottles. "Getting myself a few potions."

"I thought you hated potions." The warrior questioned.

Gavin shook his head. "I don't HATE them. I'm just not fond of the feeling of them working." The man flashed the other a crooked smile. "Shouldn't I try to get used to it, though?"

"Yeah." The warrior stopped being so curious. Gavin left, humming softly as he returned home. Michael entered Ryan's house.

"He-" The man couldn't even muster a greeting before falling victim to coughing and hacking. 

"Woah." Michael said as he stood and stared at Ryan. "You look like shit."

Ryan wanted to express that he felt like worse, but all he could do was nod. 

"You can't speak?" Michael asked. Ryan tapped his nose and nodded to prove that the man's guess was exactly right. "Wow, that sucks."

Ryan pointed to the chest behind the bear-hood wearing man. Michael looked behind him.

"You want something from there?" Michael noticed. With silent approval from the older man, he went and opened the storage that held drinks and some food. "This?" Michael held up an apple. Ryan shook his head. "How about..." He rummaged some more before pulling out a water bottle. Ryan thought about it before shaking his head again. Finally, after a few more tries, Michael picked out the bottled milk. Ryan's head bobbed, making grabby hands for the beverage.

Michael went and handed it to him, and the man took it instantly and drank. The cold but silky drink soothed his throat nicely. The fire in it was dulled significantly, but there was still soreness present. Well, only time could heal that.

"I came to get myself a strength potion." Michael informed the man. Ryan only pointed to the cabinet and waved him to it to give him permission. 

"W-why...?" Ryan finally managed to speak and ask. He always liked to hear the stories behind why the men came and needed certain potions. They were interesting to him.

"Uh..." Michael blushed a bit before turning to open a cabinet and help himself. "I wanna impress Lindsay..."

"Oh?" Ryan managed to say with the same curiousity as usual that basically meant 'tell me more'.

"Well," he removed the bottle of potion from the cabinet and shut it. "she always calls me 'noodle' arms, so I'm gonna show her that I'm pretty strong. Maybe punch a few trees and break them in one strike, carry her over rivers...

Ryan only shook his head with a smirk. Michael approached him, bottle in hand.

"What?" He leaned in to hear the man. Ryan was about to say something, but instead snatched the bottle from his hands. "Hey!" He tried to reach for it, but Ryan held it behind him as he sat up, using his other hand to block Michael from getting it.

"Be... truly strong." Ryan whispered. He couldn't talk much louder than that. "Then she'll... respect you."

"But..." Michael backed off. "What if I'm not strong enough?" He was actually really concerned and worried. He always wanted Lindsay to like him, to think he was a cool guy or whatever.

"I think she likes you-" Ryan stopped to cough. "...likes you already." His hoarse voice said. He tried to say something else, but it only came out as a squeak, then nothing.

Michael smirked. "...really?"

Ryan only nodded in response.

"Thanks, Rye." The younger man said with a sudden confidence boost. He held his hand out. "I'll go put this back for you."

Ryan could do nothing else but give it to the man, who stayed true to his word. Ryan snapped his fingers for Michael to look back at him. 

"Something else you need to squeak?" Michael teased. Ryan rolled his eyes before biting his lip and glancing down at the glass that held Edgar under it.

"...wh...wheat." He managed. Michael was confused.

"Wheat?" He asked. Ryan pointed down at the glass. Michael looked down at Edgar, who only mooed.

"Oh." Michael understood. The warrior gave thumbs up before waving to the man and leaving his home with no potion.

He did leave with good advice, though.

Ryan sighed. It was afternoon, and he was pretty tuckered out by all the talking and gesturing he did. The man laid down on his side, pulling his covers over him as he shivered for seemingly no reason and sniffed automatically. Maybe a quick nap would help.

"Look at him." Geoff chuckled. "Sleeping like a baby."

"I guess I should come back later then." A voice that sounded like Jack's said. 

"Yeah." Ryan heard from Geoff. Then the sleeping man heard footsteps, getting farther and farther away until a door opened. He couldn't be bothered to stop Jack, or even fully wake up for the matter. 

It was his sick day, after all.


	8. Where's Gavin?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray had been waiting for a while, but Gavin hadn't shown his face for a while. Was he coming anymore? Or, more importantly, was he even alive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I really liked writing this chapter. I didn't expect to but now it's my favorite so far. I love conflict and cliffhangers! Feel free to comment suggestions, feedback, and more!

"Hey, have you guys seen Gavin?" Ray asked Geoff and Jack. It was Monday, almost evening, and he was planning to go hunting with Gavin. They made a time and everything.

So where was he?

"No idea where he is." Jack shrugged.

Geoff did the same. "Not a fuckin' clue."

"Thanks for the help." Ray said sarcastically before going to wait inside his house again. Pat the head looked up at his 'owner', even though he hated the word with a passion.

"I see you've went outside for the fifth time already." The head said in his British accent. "Honestly, if the young lad is faffing about, go on your own. He will learn the error of his ways and join you."

"I would, but..." Ray smoothed his suit down a bit more. "He doesn't just forget things, Pat." Ray picked up his top hat and played with it. "And you'd think a guy would see him by now. But nobody says they've seen him all damn day!" The man sighed. "It's just unlike him."

It was Pat's turn to sigh now. "Maybe he got caught up in something else. Was he supposed to do anything earlier?"

"Uh, hm..." Pat was probably right, maybe he did get invested in something else. Ray thought about their conversation from the day before.

\-----------  
"Yeah, I think that'll work alright." Gavin cheerfully greeted to the hunting schedule. "Do you have anything to do earlier?"

"Not really." Ray shrugged. "You?"

"I just have to collect some mushrooms for stew." Gavin informed him. "I haven't seen many mushrooms around here, so maybe I should go look for it in the Nether." He smiled.

\-----------  
Oh, shit.

"I know where he is." Ray immediately stood up. "Fucking hell, he's gonna get himself in some serious shit."

"What's wrong?" Pat asked. "Where is he?"

Ray removed his iron sword from the wall and attached it to his hip. "The Nether, alone." He took two apples just in case. 

"I don't understand..." Pat said, confused. "Even if he... fell into an unfortunate event... wouldn't he spawn back at his home?"

"Pat..." Ray closed his eyes and sighed before turning to look at the head. "People don't respawn when they're killed in the Nether." Ray bit his lip. "At least, not in this dimension." He opened his door. "That's why we can't find Caleb." Then he left.

The city Nether portal was never far from Ray's house. He was walking there when Geoff and Michael saw him.

"Hey!" They called to him. They had to call a second time for him to actually look up, a serious look on his face. They both sensed something was amiss.

"Hey, Ray..." Michael began as he walked towards him. "Is everything alright?"

"I can handle it." He immediately defended.

Geoff held up a hand. "Stop for a minute." He folded his arms. "What's going on?"

Ray let out a sigh of frustration and concern. "Gavin went into the Nether earlier to get mushrooms alone." He pointed to the portal. "He must've gotten stuck, because the British idiot was supposed to be hear about a fucking hour ago."

"Sounds serious." Geoff agreed. "Want someone to come with you?"

"I can go alone." Ray confirmed. "It's easier, and safer."

"Well, at least take this." Geoff took an earpiece out of a compartment in his armor. He always had two with him. "I'll keep in touch with you." He pointed to his house. "My helmet has a communicator installed. It's back by the house."

"Alright." Ray fastened the earpiece to his ear, microphone hanging slightly away from his mouth. 

"Stay safe." Michael said.

"What a sappy line." Ray retorted with a smirk.

"Shut the fuck up and get Gavin."

"That's more like it."

The Hispanic man entered the portal. He felt his body feel weightless for a couple of seconds as the overworld shifted from outside the portal to become the Nether. He then felt gravity with him, and stepped out of the portal.

The heat got him immediately. It was a cool day in Achievement City, but the Nether felt like its usual, uncomfortably warm self.

Ray straightened his suit jacket and sighed, adjusting his glasses. The area seemed pretty barren, where he was, and not even a Ghast was nearby. He was on what resembled a hill, the obsidian portal behind him. He started walking down the mound of netherrack.

"Gavin?" Ray shouted. His voice echoed throughout the area. The man sighed. "I guess I have to do this the harder way."

Reaching level ground, Ray accidently caught the interest of a magma cube. He ran away from the monster before he caused any trouble.

Slowing down to a walk again, the man serveyed the area.

Ray was standing near a cliff, where under it was nothing but lava. A small wall to his left was all that stood between him and a Ghast, who's screech made him wince every time. The smell of rotting and sweat found it's way into the man's nostrils, and Ray tried his best not to gag. The heat in the air was almost unbearable, seeing how he was so close to the scalding lava.

How could Gavin be alive still in a place like this?

Ray gulped, an awkward shiver going down his spine as he attempted to negate the second thought.

If he even was alive.

Looking around again, he called for his friend again. "Gavin!?" The voice echoed on. Ray really had no idea where to start his search.

Then, he spotted something green.

Ray did a double take. The green he saw earlier was down a hill, by the lava. 

Gavin had to have something to do with it.

Ray found a path down the ledge and on more level ground, and began walking to the green. As he went closer, the man began to see specks of darker green and even black on the scarf.

It was a scarf. A creeper scarf.

Picking it up, Ray looked around the area, suppressing as much panic as he could. Gavin had to be fine. He could've just left it there by accident.

Or he was running too fast.

Maybe there was some logical explanation. Maybe he was just too hot.

But he'd still carry it. He loves that thing.

Ray wrapped the scarf around his own neck, despite the warmth of the realm. Shaking off the shudder he involuntarily had, the man continued north. 

A few minutes after finding the scarf, Ray paused. A pigman was coming his way, but not bothering him. He walked past it, careful not to pose a threat. The zombie animal stopped to stare at the man as he continued to walk past the creature. After a few moments, the pigman continued on its way.

Ray let out a sigh of relief, and continued to look for his idiot friend. Calling out the man's name a few times, he realized that he should probably stop when a Ghast's fireball narrowly missed his feet.

Just maybe.

Rolling out of the way of another one, Ray looked up at the huge floating monstrosity. The Ghast's terrifying screech sounded as another fireball shot out at the man. Ray got out of the way of that one too, and ran behind a netherrack pillar.

Another Ghast fireball hit the pillar, and a part of if crumbled from above and fell down. Ray shut his eyes and put a hand over his head to protect him some larger debris as dust and smaller pieces fell in his hair, on the scarf, and on his suit.

Another fireball shot out and missed him. Ray came out from behind the pillar, sword out and ready to hit the powerful charge back at the monster.

The next fireball was shot, but not at him.

"What the...?" Ray stood, confused. The Ghast was shooting at something else. They only shot at humans, though. So why was-

"Oh, damn it." Ray hissed under his breath. He jogged forward to look over a ledge. On a lower level, someone was running from the Ghast's fire.

Ray caught the sandy brown hair and green trousers instantly. 

"Gavin!" He shouted before jumping down to a lower ledge, and then to the level Gavin was on. 

The other man didn't even look back. He heard someone call him, but the Ghast had already burned his arm from a good shot. Gavin didn't think it was worth getting another injury to find the person who called him.

He could be hallucinating, anyway. He's received enough maiming to believe that it was possible.

"Gavin!" Ray shouted again as he began running to his friend. The creeper man hid behind a thick netherrack pillar and crouched down. The stubborn Ghast shot a fireball at the pillar, causing some debris to fall. Gavin covered his face and coughed at the dust.

Ray continued to run to his friend's aid, who seemed to be cornered, only a pillar between him and serious injury or worse.

Gavin was in pretty bad shape. Sweating, the multiple cuts on his arms and a few on his face stung tremendously. A pretty gnarly gash on his forearm from a terrible battle with a zombie pigman throbbed, and he couldn't look at it without his stomach turning. A few things were in pain that he didn't notice just yet, like the burn on his other arm and the possible concussion he had from being thrown down by monsters he couldn't remember. His bow was broken, his energy spent, and his scarf was lost along with his hopes.

Maybe he should stop running then. Just give up. Gavin couldn't go on for much longer.

Another Ghast fireball was shot towards Ray as he got closer. He dodged it easily with a quick duck of the head.

"Gavin!" He shouted as he got closer. "Gavin! Shout if you can hear me!" Ray was about to reach the pillars.

"...Ray?" Gavin said quietly to himself. Then he turned his head and shouted. "Ray!" He coughed weakly. His lungs were pretty done for. He has had enough dust, netherrack, and shouts to render it almost useless. The shout came out like gravel to wood.

Ray understood him clear enough. He hid behind the pillar next to Gavin's, and saw his friend.

"Holy shit, you're a mess." Ray said subconsciously. Gavin only nodded and coughed again at the dust falling form where a fireball hit his pillar. 

Ray saw how bad Gavin was doing, and knew he was probably not going to get any help fighting off the Ghast. After another fireball missed the two, Ray came out from behind his pillar and hit the following one back at its creator.

After a few well placed hits back and a couple of dodges, the Ghast screamed before falling and going with a 'poof', only it's tear left to mark the place of death. 

Ray didn't have time to collect that. Instead, he hurried over and knelt next to Gavin, who looked like he was about to fall asleep or pass out.

"Hey, hey..." Ray shook his shoulder. Gavin blinked a few times and looked at his friend, a cut just above his eye bleeding a bit. A few of his cuts were bleeding, actually. Ray took one glance at the gash on Gavin's left arm and knew his friend was just about spent.

"Ray... I-" He couldn't get out the second word fully before coughing a bit. Ray put his hand on his friends shoulder.

"It's okay... it's okay..." Ray soothed. Gavin's coughs subsided. "We have to go, okay? We have to find a portal, then we'll be home."

"I can't..." Gavin said, defeated. 

Ray's brow furrowed. "Why?" The man pointed to the scarf around his neck. "I brought your scarf for you, if that's what it is." He tried to joke lightheartedly.

"Too... tired..." His British friend began to drift off, eyelids starting to close. Ray's heart jumped as he shook Gavin roughly.

"You can sleep when you go home, moron!" Ray shouted. Gavin wasn't used to Ray's furiosity, so that snapped his head back up at his friend. "You have to get the fuck up! I'll help you."

"Just..." He wanted to tell Ray to leave him, but the fire in the younger man's eyes told Gavin that nothing was going to have Ray leave him. "Oh...okay..." Gavin slowly began standing up, and his vision blurred as he did so. Stumbling forward, Ray had to grab and stabilize him so he didn't fall on his hands and knees.

Gavin stood, with help from Ray. Ray supported him a bit as they began walking to find a portal. Ray decided that maybe he should question the Brit a bit more on what happened.

"So..." Ray began. "Did you get the mushrooms?"

"I..." Gavin tried to think, but it was like static in his mind at the moment. "I can't remember."

"Oh." Ray bit his lip. Gavin stumbled a bit, so he helped him walk upright again. "Where's your bow and arrows?"

Gavin realized again that they were not on his back. "They bloody broke."

"There not the only things that are bloody." Ray joked bitterly. "You're really roughed up, man."

"No shit." Gavin chuckled before it turned into serious coughing. Ray paused for a bit for the man to regain his barings before continuing their slow walk.

"We're all worried." Ray said. "Geoff and-" The man almost forgot about the earpiece. Ray checked his ears for the device, but it was nowhere to be found. It must've fallen when he was battling the Ghast or something. "I was going to contact Geoff, but my earpiece fell out." He wondered how mad Geoff was going to be about it.

Hopefully he'd understand.

"I... I think there's a portal ab... above." Gavin stuttered and slurred his sentence. He was unbelievably tired. His shaking finger pointed to a hill, where Ray could make out an obsidian outline through his smudged glasses.

"Good eye." Ray complimented before they directed their path there. The younger man helped his hurt friend get up the hill. The portal was near a Nether fortress, which Ray decided was noteworthy.

Magma cubes were around the portal, hopping with no purpose but to cause trouble. Ray took out his sword and ushered Gavin behind him. The wet slap of the magma cube against the ground made Ray stick out his tongue in disgust.

"Gavin, stay behind me." Ray ordered. Gavin complied, sticking behind the Hispanic as he hacked and slashed at the creatures. They split, and with a few strokes more of the sword, disappeared. 

"Ray-" Gavin was about to speak, but he cut himself out with a scream of pain. Ray turned around quickly. A skeleton had been near the fortress, and instantly shot Gavin in the side. 

"Gavin, shit!" Ray hissed before taking Gavin roughly by the arm and leading/dragging him to the portal. Ray's glasses fell, but the man didn't have time to grab them. He'd just have to do without them. Gavin let out another cry of pain from the injury. "You're gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay..." 

"I'm not...argh!" The pain was too much. Gavin became woozy, and stumbled out of the portal when they arrived to the overworld. Ray caught him, and saw he had passed out from all the pain.

The cool air of the overworld clashed with the sweat on Ray's skin, and goosebumps arrived immediately. Setting Gavin on the grass, Ray folded the sleeves of his suit jacket back with squinted eyes and picked Gavin up before looking around the surroundings.

They were in the snowy part of the forest, and Ray knew they were near Achievement City without needing his glasses.

Ray tried to carry Gavin his arms, but he just wasn't strong enough. The arrow sticking out of Gavin's side also interfered with that style of carrying. Ray resorted to both carrying and dragging the lad back to Achievement City as snow began to fall in the area, and on the portal they had spawned. Blood tainted the white snow.

"I haven't seen any of them, it's really worrying me." Michael said. He and Lindsay were talking in the middle of Achievement City, under the half moon. 

"It's worrying me too. I mean, where-" The red headed woman stopped her sentence in their tracks, and looked over Michael's shoulder. "Oh God." She put a hand to her mouth as she gasped.

Michael turned to see the sight. "Oh fuck." He went to help him.

Ray was coming out of the forest, pretty messed up and battered. He couldn't even begin to compare to unconscious Gavin, though. The Brit was completely unresponsive except for his breathing as Ray carried him (if you could even call it carrying). Michael, stronger than Ray, helped the lad carry their friend. Lindsay immediately went to get Geoff.

"What?!" Michael and Ray could hear Geoff about from his house. The iron door burst open, and Geoff came jogging out. His face showered complete fear and concern. Jack and Ryan heard, and came out as well.

"He- I just- he was so..." Ray couldn't even muster words as Geoff took Gavin from him and slung the Brit's arm over his neck.

"Ray, go get cleaned up, and get some rest." Geoff ordered calmly. "Jack, go help him clean up. I'll get Gavin patched up and hopefully awake soon." Geoff sighed before looking at the rest of them. "We're all having a talk after I'm done. A serious one. Understood?"

"Yes." They all agreed with the boss. 

Geoff turned to go back with Gavin, but turned his head to say one last thing: "Ryan, shut the Nether portal down."


	9. Rules and Conflicts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geoff's proposing a new rule because of Gavin's 'incident', and a few people just can't agree with him. Will this pose a threat to friendships? Will Ray get to take his nap?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a short chapter, but it's more of an explanation of feelings than of action and POW! BLAM! BOOM! So yeah. Comment what you think!

Geoff was settling Gavin into his own bed the night he came back from his adventure.

Adventure or death wish. Whichever worked.

"Okay, bud..." Geoff said to Gavin and himself. The younger man was still out cold. Geoff had taken care of him with a bath, medicine, bandages, and stitches. He sighed. "I think you're alright for now. Wake up soon..." He ruffled the sleeping guy's hair before leaving him in his house.

Ray had returned to his house, bathed, and eaten. He also treated his cuts, with a bit of help from Jack. What he really missed at the moment was his glasses.

"God damn it..." Ray sighed. "I should've picked up my glasses."

"Sounds to me that glasses weren't the top priority to save." Pat said wisely. He had heard all of Ray's story when the man told him, and had to give his body having 'friend', and he used the term loosely, props. Ray had actually been very brave, in his opinion.

"I guess..." Ray sat on his bed. Only then did he realize how much his legs felt like lead. "I should go to bed."

"Understandable." Pat said softly. He watched as the Hispanic covered himself in his blankets and shut his eyes, immediately falling asleep. "Very understandable."

Ryan had shut off the portal already, and saw Geoff approaching everyone that now stood in the middle of the Achievement City logo.

"What'd you want to talk about, Geoff?" Jack immediately addressed. Geoff's brow was furrowed deeply.

"I don't like our history with the Nether." He announced. "Caleb got... lost... in there. And now..." He bit his lip before continuing. "Now we almost lost Gavin to the Nether."

"That wasn't his fault." Michael immediately defended. "He wasn't-"

"Michael!" Geoff snapped, glaring at the younger man. Michael glared back, but folded his arms and looked away after a bit. Geoff sighed. "I know it wasn't his fault. That's why I'm banning everyone from going to the Nether."

"What?" Ryan said. He couldn't believe it. "Geoff, that's not a wise decision. We need things from the Nether. Things that the overworld just doesn't have."

"I understand that..." Geoff began. "but we need to think about our health. We can live without a few things."

Ryan shook his head with a frown. "We can't. I need Nether ingredients for potions!"

"And I need alive friends!" Geoff shouted. He saw them jump a bit at his raised voice, and he cleared his throat and began again. "We can't keep losing people to... to that Hell, Ryan. It's for the best."

"But it isn't-"

"Ryan, you have to listen to him..." Lindsay tried to calm him done.

"Oh, now YOU are on Geoff's side?" Ryan was enraged. "Big fuckin' surprise."

"Ryan, you're just being mean now." Even Michael was calmer than the older man.

"Yeah, Ryan." Geoff agreed. "You have to listen to us, to think about the actual people in this damn city for a second."

Ryan groaned. "I AM thinking of the people! I'm thinking of how many things we WON'T be able to have anymore because of your stupid rule!"

"It's my orders." Geoff tried to remain calm. 

Ryan couldn't stand it. "FUCK your orders!" He stormed off and slammed the door to his house.

Geoff stomped the ground with his foot in rage. "Why doesn't anyone listen to me!?" He threw his hands in the air. "Is it because I'm not strict enough? Is that it?" He was talking more to himself, but the rest of them stared at him as Geoff went on. "I give one fucking order, one fucking RULE, and people go ape shit! I'm DONE with that asshole. He can stay his ass out of my city and become a forest dweller like Lindsay, see if I give a damn!" It was Geoff's turn to storm off and into his house. The other three looked at each other.

"Wow..." Lindsay whispered under her breath. 

Michael frowned. "I've never seen both Geoff and Ryan so angry."

"It's a bit shocking..." Jack said. "But they were always a bit at odds."

"Really?" Lindsay said. She wasn't one who could notice those things, since she didn't really live with them.

"Yeah, Jack's right." Michael nodded. "Ryan was always logical and thought about the best for our resources. Geoff thought more about the people themselves." 

"In a way, they both want the best for us. Just, in different ways that always butt heads." Jack explained. "It's better when they don't make decisions with each other."

"I wonder how Gavin's doing..." Lindsay said out loud.

Michael sighed. "Wanna go pay him a visit?"

"Yeah." She agreed. Lindsay hesitated for a bit when Michael began walking to Gavin's house. Jack lifted an eyebrow.

Michael looked back at her, and she bit her lip before offering her hand to him. Jack smiled as he looked between the two. The tips of Michael's ears turned as red as his cheeks before he held Lindsay's hand in front of the bearded man.

"Aw how cute~" Jack cooed.

"Shut up." Michael muttered, embarrassed. Lindsay just giggled as she and Michael went to see in Gavin was awake.

Geoff was in his house, running a hand through his hair and holding his helmet in another hand. He sat on his bed, multiple thoughts running through his mind...

Why did Ryan always have to be so difficult? He never had this kind trouble with the other guys. The guy just never wanted to fucking listen. All he did was try to give over ideas, to overlook everything Geoff said, UNDERMINE him...

The mustached man threw his helmet across the room with his stronger left arm. 

Couldn't he understand him for once?

Ryan thought about Geoff as well. The kilt-sporting man was at his workstation, doing what he did best when he was angry: making a potion or two.

Mixing ingredients, he heated a beaker of water as he began his thought process.

Why did Geoff not understand the fundamentals of running a city? You always have to have the right resources. Why was that so hard to figure out for the man? Ryan could do it, for sure. He could at least understand that sometimes, safety is put at risk in order to supply for the REST of the community. 

Ryan put some nether wart in the now heated water and sighed.

Could he understand him for once?

Gavin was stirring when Michael and Lindsay were visiting him. Lindsay was about to slip her hand out of his grasp, but Michael only held on tighter. She smiled. 

At least he was committed.

"Huh...Hm?" Gavin slurred as he opened his eyes. The light colored irises darted left and right. "Where..."

"Gavin, over here." Michael called his attention. Gavin slowly turned his head to the right and saw Michael and Lindsay there. 

He smiled a bit. "Hey... guys..." He said slowly. Gavin tried to get up, but only yelped in pain when he did so.

"Calm down..." Michael began to explain. "Ray carried you here, from the Nether portal you guys came back in." He saw Gavin's mouth corners turn down. "He gave you to Geoff, who got you cleaned and patched up." 

"Oh..." Gavin said. He had nothing else to say, since he didn't exactly know how to feel. "I didn't look to bad, did I?"

Lindsay took a bit of a step forward, hand still in Michael's. "You did... and um... I personally thought you were a goner."

"Lindsay, that's a bit much." Michael thought the same, but he didn't want to make his British friend nervous. 

"Michael..." Gavin said softly, smiling sadly. "It's alright." He moved both his arms out from under the covers.

One was bandaged up, and he remembered that one from his unfortunate battle with the zombie pigman. Looking at the other, the burn looked like it should hurt more than it did. The medicine on it really soothed the stinging. The medicine on all of his cuts made them sting less, too. He just had a bad headache while his legs felt like tons.

"You alright?" Lindsay asked. 

"Mhm." Gavin said softly. He finally stole a glance at the two's intertwined fingers. "Not as bloody 'good' as you two, though." He giggled. Michael scratched his head and looked away.

"Shut up."

"Michael, be nice." Lindsay ordered. That made Gavin laugh a bit more, which turned into a few coughs afterwards. Michael looked up at him, his face full of apology for something he didn't do.

"We'll leave you to rest or whatever." Michael muttered. He then smiled a crooked smile at the Brit. "Get better soon, idiot."

"Sod off, piss pot." Gavin joked. Michael rolled his eyes at Gavin's words, and left with Lindsay, who waved at him before closing the door. Gavin laid in the bed, his expression fading from smiles to serious, wondering how in the hell he even got out of the Nether alive.

The next morning, the tension between Ryan and Geoff was as apparent as the difference between land and sky. They didn't talk to each other at all, and whenever they saw each other, the two only glared for moments before snapping their attention back to wherever they were going and doubling their walking speed. 

At afternoon, Jack couldn't take it anymore.

"Oh for God sakes..." He growled. Jack went to visit Geoff about the matter. After, the bearded man walked to Ryan's house and opened the door without knocking, knowing the man hardly ever locked the door.

"Oh, what the fuck?" Ryan said confused when he heard the door open. Turning from his work station, his facial expression softened. "Oh, hey Jack."

"You and Geoff are ridiculous!" Jack exclaimed as he threw his hands up. "What's the matter with you two?"

Ryan's face fell and he instantly grew grumpy at the mention of the mustached bastard. "Oh, him." He looked off the to left of him.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Yes, him! You guys know you're being big fucking babies right now. Make up, and collaborate!"

"Jack, it's not that easy." Ryan out his elbows on his knees, leaning foreward as his piercing blue eyes stared at Jack's. "We just don't click together. He's more spontaneous. He doesn't think logically."

"When I asked him about you," Jack said. "he said you didn't click either. But he said you were too logical, and you never thought with your heart." 

"That's physically impossible." Ryan tilted his head a bit. "And you can never be too logical."

Jack sighed. "You guys really do have to make up soon. When Gavin realizes you guys are having a problem and asks about it, he'll feel like he's the one to blame."

"But that's not-"

"True, of course it isn't." Jack ran a hand through his hair. "You know how Gavin is, though. Plus, wouldn't you feel guilty if you got hurt in the Nether, and because of that, nobody can go there anymore?"

Ryan thought about it, then nodded. "Your right."

"I explained the same thing to Geoff." Jack said. "You guys better make up, or I'm gonna beat you both over the head with a pickaxe."

"Ow." Ryan smirked, wincing at the thought of respawning with that kind of headache.

Jack smirked. "Yeah, try to avoid that." He left Ryan in his house, and the kilt wearing man sighed and got wheat, beginning to climb down the hole to feed Edgar.

Ray, up and feeling better already, exited his house for the first time that day. Stretching his poor, sore muscles, the man walked to go and visit Gavin.

Gavin had managed to sit up in bed when Ray came in.

"Oh, hey X-Ray." Gavin greeted.

Ray waved. "Hey Vav." He sat at the edge of his bed. "How you feelin'?"

Gavin sighed. "Pretty... pretty bloody rough." The British man admitted. The medicine couldn't last forever, so the soothing part of it was fading a bit. The stinging was beginning to bother him.

"Oh, sorry." Ray shrugged with a frown. He really didn't know what else to say. Then, he remembered the present around his neck. Ray removed the creeper scarf from himself, which he washed and dried himself, and gave it to Gavin. "Here, maybe this'll make you feel better."

"Oh, top!" Gavin said excitedly. The Brit immediately wrapped the scarf around his neck, over his white sleeping shirt. "Thank you for finding it!"

"No problem." Ray smiled at Gavin's giddiness.

"I thought I lost it forever." The British man commented on the scarf.

"I can imagine." The Hispanic said. He really could imagine, though.

That's how he felt when looking for Gavin in the Nether. That he lost him forever.

"C'mon..." Gavin held his arms open. Ray rolled his eyes.

"Giving you the scarf is as far as I go, Gavin." Ray joked. Gavin put his arms down, and shrugged.

"Fair enough."

"Well," Ray got up. "that's all I came here for." 

"Hey, Ray?" Gavin called his attention. Ray turned his attention to him. "Can you tell Geoff that I want to see him?"

"Will do." Ray said. He had heard about Geoff's new rule against the portals, and had to stop himself from mentioning it to Gavin.

It wasn't his business to bring that up to Gavin, anyway.

Leaving the Brit with a goodbye, Ray knocked on Geoff's door. He saw Jack and Michael leaving with pickaxes, probably on their way to find more ore.

"Hey." Ray greeted as Geoff opened the door.

"Hey, Ray." Geoff said back tiredly. He hadn't had the best night's sleep, full of thinking and arguing with himself. The conversation with Jack only got him thinking even more. "How you feeling?"

"A lot better." Ray smirked. Then he jerked his thumb to Gavin's stone house. "The guy wants to see you."

"Oh?" Geoff was a bit curious. "He isn't usually that straight forward about it..."

Ray shrugged "Well, you better get going." He backed away a bit. "He's waiting." Then, he turned around and walked back to his own house for an afternoon nap, just because he could.

"Hm." Geoff bit his lip. What could Gavin want to talk about that actually caused his to REQUEST Geoff's presence?

The mustached man put on the top part of his armor before going to Gavin's house. He knocked before entering. 

"Gavin?" He said to the door. 

"Come in." The British voice didn't sound as estatic as it usually was. Instead, it sounded upset and sad. 

Geoff opened the door. Gavin was looking at him, as he came in. The Brit glanced to the left of Geoff. Geoff looked there, but saw nothing.

"What is it?" Geoff moved closer to Gavin, who bit his lip and looked back and Geoff.

"Ray's ghost is here." Geoff could feel the hint of fear in the man's voice. He smiled softly and put a hand on the Brit's shoulder.

"Is that what you called me for?" He asked.

"No..." Gavin sighed, and slid Geoff's hand off his shoulder. Geoff didn't take it too seriously, but just sat on the edge of Gavin's bed like Ray did.

He looked at the Brit expectantly. "What's the issue?"

"...I could've... died... couldn't I?" Gavin said slowly, his usually bright eyes a bit dim. "And I should've."

"Gavin..." Geoff's expression immediately shifted from curiousity and deep concern. "Where's this coming from?"

The Brit sighed. "I felt like I was going to die there, Geoff." He admitted. "Like I couldn't go on anymore." He stared at nothing in particular when he spoke.

"But you didn't." Geoff smirked a bit, to try to lighten the mood. "Isn't that what counts?"

"Maybe..." Gavin shook his head a bit and looked off. "If it wasn't for Ray, I would've cowered in that corner until it crumbled down on me. I had no weapon, no energy... no spirit..."

"You have the double amount of spirit than anyone in this city." Geoff tried to reassure them.

"Well then I must've been there long enough to use two people's worth." Gavin said back. Geoff went silent, and Gavin continued. "I just wanted to let you know how much of an absolute jackass I was for not telling you guys I was going to the Nether. I know its really dangerous there... I just didn't expect it to get so out of hand." Gavin shuddered at the thought of him not surviving.

Geoff frowned. He was really sad for the lad. The man almost died in the realm, not to be respawned, or heard from, again. "It's a good thing nobody will have to go back there again." He decided it was as good a time as any to announce what he did last night to the Brit.

The sandy haired lad looked at him straight on, his eyes a bit watery, "What do you mean?"

"I've made a decision." Geoff smoothed his mustache. "We're not going to the Nether anymore."

"I don't... understand..." Gavin's eyebrows furrowed, confused. 

Geoff continued to explain. "We're not letting anyone use Nether portals anymore. They're forbidden now."

Gavin shook his head in disbelief. "That's bullcrap..."

"How so?" It was Geoff's turn to be confused. "It's the best for the city."

"Geoff, I didn't mean to make a whole new rule..." Gavin immediately felt guilty, like Jack had predicted. "Me being a bloody moron shouldn't spark a whole damn order!"

"Gavin, you getting hurt did trigger it..." Geoff tried to explain. "But it's not just you. Caleb lost, people coming back from the Nether with actual bruises that don't fucking heal right away-"

"Caleb was a case that can't be proven, and those bruises heal over actual time." Gavin interrupted. "Geoff, I don't understand. I'll go back to the Nether with another person. I'll come back. We've done it multiple times. It's just my stupid mistake of going alone that caused all of this!"

"Gavin, I don't want to lose any more of you." Geoff sighed, a lump in his throat. "I've lost too many to too weird things. I almost lost you yesterday, even-"

"So you're admitting that I could've died!"

"So I'm admitting that we need this rule!" Geoff shouted over him. "Stop being so stubborn like Ryan and fuckin' agree with me for once!"

"I always agree with you..." Gavin corrected. "Maybe Ryan doesn't, but I do. This is the first time i don't freaking agree, and you're getting pissy with me!"

"Because this is something you should agree with!" Geoff said. "The Nether almost killed you."

"Don't remind me."

"Isn't it better to have the rule?"

"I can prove to you it isn't." Gavin muttered. Geoff rolled his eyes.

"You're stubborn as dicks." Geoff got up. "Just like Ryan."

"What's going on with you and Ryan?" Gavin asked. He didn't understand why he was mentioning him so much.

"Don't worry about it." The mustached man said grumpily.

Gavin sighed. "Geoff... I may not understand why you need the rule, but I don't get why you're so mad at me. It's not like I'm going to not follow it." He gestured to the bed he was in. "Even if I wanted to not follow it, it's kind of HARD. TO. DO. AT. THE. MOMENT." He expressed.

Geoff sighed. "I know, I'm sorry I got mad." He looked back at the injured man. "I'm just sick of being another person short."

Gavin nodded. He knew what he meant, he was there when people began disappearing. "I get it... maybe we should to talk it out more with the others. Make it more of an agreement than an order." Gavin sat up in his bed a bit more. "Don't you think we work better as a team then in ranks?"

Geoff was surprised at Gavin's words. "That's the smartest thing you've said in a while."

"Maybe it's all the times I hit my head." Gavin chuckled. Geoff smirked.

"Maybe." He stretched a bit. "I'm gonna go. I think we should have that agreement you were talking about, maybe in my house tomorrow." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You know, if Ryan even comes."

"Seriously, what the hell is up with you and Ryan?" Gavin was very curious.

Geoff only waved the question off. "Don't worry. We'll figure this all out tomorrow." 

Geoff helped Gavin ingest some mushroom stew before leaving him to his own affairs of laying down and falling into a deep sleep, despite it being early evening.

He dreamt of when he went Nether, as if he was alone through it all.

It was the worst nightmare of his life.


	10. Breaking Point, Breaking Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan and Geoff, still at odds, manage to go on completely different paths. Geoff took the political route, while Ryan took the rebellious one that could just about alter everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is brought to you by: Suspense, Feelings, and Dialogue.   
> There's a lot of it all.

Geoff called the meeting that Wednesday for all of them to meet. He went to everyone's house to announce the meeting, which was scheduled for before noon. He was convinced he didn't need to go to Lindsay and ask her to come, since he trusted that she would be okay with anything at that point.

Upon reaching Ryan's house, Geoff stopped a bit short. He didn't want to talk to the younger man, of course, but he had to tell him. 

Who else would?

Geoff knocked. "Ryan?" His voice cracked involuntarily, and for once, he winced at it. He heard the man's sigh from inside, and then he opened the door.

He was already dressed, even at that time in the morning. "Can I help you?" Ryan's voice held a bit of annoyance in it.

Geoff didn't notice. "We're having a... meeting about my decision. I think we should reach a certain agreement."

Ryan knew his opinion wouldn't win out. "Can I pass?"

Geoff shook his head in disbelief. "Why can't you just come and see how it works out?"

"The only way I want it to work out is if the decision lets me go to the Nether today." Ryan informed him with a frown. "I already used up all my Nether wart." He lied.

"Well, you have to calm down with making all those potions and come to the meeting." Geoff didn't catch the man's lie. "It's for the better."

"Maybe I'll just go and make my own Nether portal." Ryan thought out loud. He smirked at Geoff, just to test his patience. "It's the logical thing to do."

Geoff growled. "You're such a son of a bitch. Just get your ass over to the meeting, be a good guy for once, and stop disobeying me!"

"But that's not the smart thing." Ryan folded his arms. "Not when I'm going to waste my time there, trying to coax people who won't listen to me to think I'm right. To know I'm right."

"If you have to coax them," Geoff ground his teeth. "don't you think they don't want to listen because your wrong?"

Ryan frowned angrily. "Don't bother to keep my seat warm at the meeting." Then Ryan slammed the door in his older friend's face.

If they were even friends anymore.

Gavin had heard the door slam from Ryan. He was invited to the meeting, if he could stand. At the moment, he had got up on his feet and walked out his front door when Ryan shut the door on the frustrated Geoff.

"Geoff?" Gavin called, concerned. He knew something was going on between the two, but he just didn't know what. 

"What-" Geoff was about to snap, but seeing Gavin softened his expression. "Hey..."

"Hey." Gavin began walking over, his legs still a bit tired and sore. "I'm coming to the meeting."

"Well, at least someone is." Geoff muttered to himself. Gavin's eyebrow rose.

"Is something the matter?" He asked cautiously. Geoff sighed.

"I'll tell you when we're at my house." 

Ryan was angry, sure. He was frustrated, and a bit worried...

But he had a plan.

Getting his sword and Inventory, the man ate cooked rabbit before leaving his house. He saw people leaving their houses to go and attend Geoff's 'meeting'.

What a stupid waste of time.

Michael called out to the man who was leaving. "Ryan! Hey, where are you going?"

"Uh..." Ryan turned back around, unsure how to handle Michael. "Just out for a bit. I'll be back." He thought before asking the following question. "Have you seen Lindsay?"

"Geoff said she didn't need to come to the meeting." Michael shrugged. "Why?" He was suspicious.

"I... just asking." He lied. Immediately he turned around and went into the nearby forest, where Lindsay's camp was in.

Michael sighed. "They've got to fuckin' stop this rivalry shit..." He muttered before continuing to Geoff's house.

Ryan reached Lindsay's camp pretty fast. She was eating an apple and leaning against a tree nearby. Hearing a rustle in the leaves, she used one hand to slowly draw the diamond sword from her hip...

...and stop when she only saw Ryan.

"Ryan?" The redhead questioned. The wind picked up a bit, causing her hood to fall back. She pulled the bird hood up again, adjusting her yellow shorts after as well. "What're you doing here?" 

"I came to talk to you." He admitted, leaning against his own tree. "It's important."

Lindsay was curious. "What's up? I thought you're supposed to be at Geoff's meeting..." She feared he was skipping it for something... mischievous.

Her fear came true.

"I'm not going to go to a meeting where nobody will listen to me." Ryan sighed. "It's not a good use of my time. A good use of my time is getting emergency resources just in case we run out too early."

"Ryan..." Lindsay shook her head. "You don't mean-"

"There's a portal in Portal House still open." Ryan interrupted, standing up straight instead of on the tree now. "We can use that one, gather some more Nether resources. It'll be best we have something to fall back on if Geoff's... rule... stays in play."

"Ryan, I don't think that's the best choice." She admitted. He stared at her.

"Well then I'll go alone."

Lindsay's blood ran cold. "No!" She shouted unintentionally. Ryan raised an eyebrow, and she blushed at her urgency. "No, don't go alone, please." She sighed. "I'll go with you."

Ryan smirked. "Thanks."

"It's only to stop you from... ending up like Gavin." She looked away. "He looked really bad when he came back. It was scary."

Ryan cast his eyes down. He hadn't seen the man since he was brought back by Ray. "I should've visited him. I really should've..."

"Ryan, it's fine." Lindsay reassured as she moved closer to him. "You were pretty angry. That's not the best state to talk to a friend. I'm sure he won't take it too seriously."

"...alright." Ryan wasn't too sure about that, but it was better to think positively at the moment. 

He'd need all the positivity in the world for Ryan to stop himself from succumbing to Geoff's bullshit rules.

"Lead me to portal house." Lindsay said, feeling a bit guilty. She knew that Michael would be mad at her for going, along with Geoff. But if Ryan went alone, who knew what was to happen? If him not getting hurt meant them getting mad at her, then so be it. Some things just needed consequences.

Ryan nodded before beginning to walk. Lindsay followed close behind. A creeper blew up to their right after a few minutes passed, causing them to stumble a bit from the blast. They weren't hurt, just a bit disoriented by the blast, so they continued on.

After ten minutes, portal house came into view. Lindsay gulped as she looked up and saw Ryan's face set with determination. Hers was a bit if wavering sureness that it was the right thing to do.

Ryan could feel that she was uneasy to it all. Lindsay hardly ever got involved with the problems in Achievement City. She only offered support and tried to help sort things out. Ryan felt guilty for asking her to do this for him, but he had no choice. Nobody else would, even if he threatened to go alone.

Ryan opened the door for Lindsay, who only nodded at him with a lump in her throat. He closed the door after he went in, and stood in front of the portal. 

The purple surface of the portal bubbled and curled in and out of itself with the weird sound it usually made. Lindsay looked at Ryan, checking to see if his expression faltered, if he'd not go.

To her dismay, Ryan went in the portal first. Lindsay had no choice but to sigh and follow.

"So, as you can see, we have Gavin with us..." Geoff nodded at Gavin, who smiled at everyone else. He was a bit pale, with bandages on both forearms and cuts and bruises still healing. It surely beat how he looked when he first came back, though.

At least this time he was conscious.

It was about twenty minutes into the meeting, which they agreed to start without Ryan. The mustached man stood in front of the rest, who were seated in chairs he brought himself to the center of his massive home. Geoff had to suppress either anger or a sigh every time he involuntarily shot a glance at the one empty chair.

Maybe he should just throw that chair away.

That's how Ryan thought about people. Burn one to give warmth to the rest, right?

Geoff snapped himself out of his negative thinking. "How you feeling, Gavin?"

"Pretty bloody top!" He smirked.

"Maybe I should've brought Pat." Ray muttered. "For translation." That earned him a laugh from Jack. Ray had gotten a makeshift replacement for his glasses until further notice, so at least he could see more than just fuzzy blobs of color.

"Gavin, as you know, had a bit of a..." Geoff didn't know how to put it. "...a conflict in the Nether."

"Meaning I faffed about enough to get my arse kicked." Gavin playfully joked. The rest laughed at his lighthearted nature, even Geoff. They needed some of that energy around the place.

"So..." Geoff said once the laughing died down. "I had proposed that we stopped going to the Nether for good." The rest of them had heard it before, so there were no shocked faces. "I decided an open discussion was better for this type of decision. It can alter our whole way of life drastically."

"You're not wrong." Jack sighed. "Ryan's whole contribution to the community is to make potions, which is harder when you can't get to some ingredients."

"True," Michael agreed. "but we do have to think about how we can even fuckin' get stuff in the Nether without getting hurt."

"These are all opinions that we have to take into account to make the final decision." Geoff told them. He paced a bit more. "It's the best thing to do to make sure we all have a somewhat agreeable final rule to abide by." He turned his attention to the rest of them. "Any suggestions?"

"Well," Michael sighed. "we know how strongly Ryan feels about going to the Nether."

Geoff sighed. "I suppose he should be accounted for." The annoyance in his tone was very apparent. Gavin shot a few glances at the men. Only Ray shot one back, since he was equally confused about why Geoff was so annoyed.

"Geoff, what's going on between you and Ryan?" Gavin finally piped up. Geoff's facial expression went from annoyance to a bit of sadness as he saw his younger friend so concerned. "I don't understand..."

"They weren't really agreeing with each other..." Jack began to explain.

Michael nodded. "They wanted to rip each other's throats out."

"Not exactly-" Geoff was about to say.

"Yup, Michael's right." Jack nodded too with a smirk as he stretched in his chair. "Lots of anger between the two."

"Why all the anger?" Ray asked, very curious.

Geoff sighed. "We never really did get along when making decisions. This one kind of... pushed us over the edge."

"So you guys are broken up or what?" Gavin joked.

Geoff rolled his blue eyes. "C'mon, dude. He's stubborn as dicks, and he thinks the same of me." He let out a sigh. "I don't know where we stand exactly..."

"Shit, just kiss and make up soon." Michael grumbled. "I hate it when you guys fuckin' fight, it goes on forever."

"Anyway," Geoff tried to get the conversation back on track. "I think we should get this whole thing sorted out fairly." He began to pace again. "Ryan and I are located on completely opposite sides of the matter, like north and south. I think none of us should go to the Nether, he thinks we should all be able to, freely." Geoff looked at the men in the room. "Where do you guys fall in?"

"I think you're right." Michael admitted as he pushed his bear hood down. "We can do without a few things. People are hard to just replace when they're gone."

"I'm caught in the middle." Jack said after. "I understand both your points.

"I do, too." Ray said.

Gavin hesitated before he told them his thoughts. It was really all down to him. "I agree with Ryan more." He saw the flash of shock on Geoff's face. "I know it's uncharacteristic of me, but bloody hell, I think Ryan's making a fair point." He paused to cough. "I-I know this whole meeting is my fault. I know that these stupid cuts all over me prove that.-"

"It's not y-" Michael was about to try to make his friend feel better.

Gavin continued on, not pausing when Michael tried to interject. "But for God's sake, Ryan's whole LIFE is a bit dependent on the Nether. He NEEDS those resources to work, to contribute to our society." His accent made what he was saying sound scholarish. "We need those resources too. We just have to be more careful when getting them." He scratched the back of his neck and flashed his famous crooked smile. "No... no more going bloody alone, right?" He coughed again, then smiled. "That's my opinion on this damn matter."

Geoff didnt exactly know how to feel about Gavin's short but important speech. He believed that they should stay away from the Nether, but by hearing what Gavin said, maybe he wasn't right. "Thank you, Gavin. For that compelling speech." He said it in a sarcastic tone, but the Brit could feel the truth behind Geoff's words.

He actually WAS thanking him.

"This kind of put us on a middle ground, then." Jack realized.

Ray groaned. "For fuck's sake, make a decision." He was growing impatient, more so because he felt so indifferent on the matter.

Geoff sighed. "I think Gavin made my final decision." He smiled at the lad, who blushed a little at being noted. "We won't ban the Nether. We're just gonna be more cautious about going there." He looked at all of them now. "Nobody is going to DARE go to the Nether alone, communicator with them or not. Always take another, or don't go at all." 

"That sounds reasonable." Michael smirked with a nod. "So, is this final? Or are we going to have this same meeting tomorrow? Or..."

"Hardy har har." Geoff sarcastically said to Michael. "This IS final. I'll notify Ryan about it."

"Speaking of Ryan," Ray noticed he hadn't arrived at all. "Where the hell could he be?"

He was somewhere alright.

Somewhere they never would've guessed, with a person they never would've guessed he'd go with.

"Ryan, c'mon..." Lindsay began to coax for the second time. "We have enough resources, both of our Inventories are almost full. It's a pain to carry. Why are we still walking?"

"Lindsay-" Ryan turned to look at her, trying to keep his patience with the younger woman. "I'll tell you in due time. Just be patient with me right now, okay?"

Lindsay pouted. "I have no damn choice."

"That's not the nicest thing to say, but I'll take it." Ryan smirked. Lindsay chuckled a bit at the man's sarcastic and dry humor. It usually was her favorite kind.

They had reached a Nether fortress a bit after that, both of them perspirating and a bit tired. They had gotten the resources pretty easily, the monsters being not so stubborn and the grown ingredients being not so hard to find.

The amount of walking they did, though, that was tremendous.

They were in the Nether fortress, looking around the dim area. Ryan sighed as he heard the squeal of a zombie pigman for no identified reason.

"Let's look around." He said with no other explanation. In truth, he was a bit nervous to explain why he even wanted to come to the Nether, and why he fought so hard against Geoff about keeping the Nether.

Lindsay was so curious that it almost hurt. "For what? What are you looking for, Ryan?"

"...my friends." He admitted cautiously, then looked at the confused red head with an expression of defeat. "I've heard stories of Nether fortresses actually holding portals to another world, like a new overworld, and..." Ryan sighed. "I foolishly chased after them."

"Ryan..." Lindsay instantly felt bad for the man. She always seemed to forget how they lost men to extremely weird circumstances. Why he wanted to be in the Nether became clear. "We'll look for this 'portal' of yours. Maybe it is real."

He scoffed. "I doubt it. Alternate universes aren't really logical, even with this place's logic."

"You never know, there are things in this Hellish place that happen that don't seem possible-"

"But they're just stories, Lindsay!" He shouted. Lindsay wasn't shocked, she didn't even flinch. He wasn't yelling at her, but at himself. "Things that just don't exist! You'd think Gavin or Geoff or something would chase after these 'tales', not me." He turned to the wall left of him, not wanting to look Lindsay in the eye for being so pathetic. Why was he losing his cool now? "Let's just... go home." He leaned against the wall, using his forearm to keep him up as he pressed it against his head and closed his eyes to regain some sort of calm. His mind was racing, trying to figure out if he just wasted time, if he was just being weak, if Kdin and the rest were dead or not.

Kdin's disappearance was his stupid experiment's fault, anyway.

Lindsay sighed, and went to Ryan. She took hold of his arm, and he only glanced at her before casting his eyes to the ground.

That didn't phase the bird-hood wearing woman. "Ryan, I don't care if it is or isn't real, we're looking for it just because it's a possibility."

"I don't understand why... why you want to still look...?" Ryan stood a bit straighter, but still a bit slumped. He folded his arms and looked away from the woman like an upset child. "Let's just go home, let's not waste-"

"Your not wasting time if it's for looking for something." Lindsay was tired of hearing him say not to waste time. "Sometimes, time is meant to be wasted."

Ryan finally fixed his blue eyes on her green ones. "...okay." He finally brought himself to smile. She smiled back.

"Let's go."

They spent a very long time looking. So long, in fact, that they weren't heard from all throughout the evening, even night.

"Ray, have you seen Lindsay?" Michael asked him desperately. "I went to her camp. She isn't there."

"I haven't." Ray was concerned as well. "We're all looking for the 'cow keeper' Ryan, too. Where the hell are they?"

"This is so weird." Michael scratched his head. "Usually, if something went wrong, they'd respawn back at their homes."

"...That's not always the case." Ray felt both fear and anger raise up alarmingly in him at the same time. "God fucking damn it."

"What is it?" Michael snapped his full attention to Ray.

"You don't think they went to the Nether, do you?" Ray said, worried.

Michael thought about it. "I'm not sure Lindsay would..." He shook his head in defeat. "But Ryan might."

Oh, they went to the Nether all right.

And then... somewhere else.


	11. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the disappearance of Ryan and Lindsay, the others grew more worried. Were they gone like the others?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (By the way my tumblr is aam5ever so check me out there if you would like) (ask me q's about the fanfic too I'd love answering those) This chapter dealt a bit more with explanations with Ryan's side and feelings on Geoff's side. I like that mix.

"I can't... I can't believe it." Ryan said in disbelief.

"Same."

Lindsay and Ryan had, in fact, found a portal. It was made out of obsidian, but the portal's surface looked more... pink than purple. It bubbled and made the usual noises a portal would. They stared at it, then shared a glance. Lindsay flashed him a knowing smile.

"I told you we just needed to look."

"This is... unbelievable." Ryan reached out to touch and feel the obsidian underneath his fingers. "This can change everything..."

Lindsay hadn't thought about it like that. "You're not wrong." She let out a breath. "We have to tell the others."

"We have to test it out." Ryan said at the same time. Lindsay gave him a look of warning.

"You don't know where this could take us."

"So we have to check it out, before we tell anyone about it." Ryan reasoned, looking back at her from the obsidian. "So we know for sure."

Lindsay couldn't disagree with that logic. "Fine fine, you're right. You want to go first?"

Ryan nodded, shooting her a wink for reassurement before entering the portal.

When it was Lindsay's turn to go through, she felt the usual weightlessness the portal gave as it transitioned from one dimension to another.

When she stepped out of the portal, the first thing she felt was how... how dark it was.

And the moon shining on both her and Ryan.

"It's... it's the same." Ryan looked around. "It's the same world as our overworld." He wasn't wrong. From the looks of it, they were in a forest that had nothing too weird about it. They took a few steps forward. Lindsay drew her sword, just in case anything came jumping out at them.

"Are you sure it's the same?" Lindsay asked. "Because that portal in the fortress looked... placed instead of spawned."

"I know what you mean." Ryan sighed. "But I think we just came back to our overworld. There is no other universe, or dimension..." He was disappointed. He'd expected something more... foreign.

"Let's just keep going." Lindsay tried to keep her friend's spirits up. "Maybe we're just not realizing something."

"I think you're wrong." Ryan admitted. Lindsay shook her head.

"C'mon, let's just keep walking."

They continued to walk, Ryan looking around for anything special. If this was just their dimension, if he didn't find anyone...

Then him and Geoff butting heads was for almost nothing.

They arrived at a camp site. Ryan shot a glance at Lindsay, who stared at it for a while, unsure of what to say.

"I guess this is home." Ryan said, disappointed. "Your camp is even here."

"Ryan..." Lindsay stared at him, her green eyes wide with worry. "This isn't my camp."

Ryan's eyes grew wide as well, and he glanced from the camp to her. She took two steps more into the camp, stepping over a sleeping bag. The outline of a fire, with still warm coals and wood, was near it. Ryan stepped around the camp, and saw a light through the trees. Lindsay looked at the coals, seeing a bit of red still in the ashes.

"Ry, this was just put out." Lindsay warned him.

Ryan knew, he was suddenly staring at the campsite's owner.

Caleb came out of the shadows.

Gavin couldn't sleep. It was past midnight, and his eyes were still wide open. It wasn't because of ghost Ray, who wasn't there. It wasn't even because of the skeleton archer he heard shoot at a tree.

It was because of how Ryan and Lindsay still hadn't been heard from.

He sat up, then stood, rubbing one of his eyes. Gavin wrapped his creeper scarf around his neck, and stretched a bit since his back was stiff. Then, he opened his door and walked to Michael's house.

Michael saw the Brit coming. He hadn't been sleeping at all either. Lindsay and Ryan hadn't returned, and it worried him sick.

The warrior, in his boxers and brown T- Shirt, opened the door before the creeper Brit could even knock.

"Oh, um..." Gavin was surprised that he was up. "Hey."

"Hey." Michael smoothed down one of his sticking out curls before inviting the man in.

Gavin sat on the warrior's bed. "...I guess your worried too?"

"You have no fucking idea." Michael plopped down on his bed, making it creak slightly, and Gavin's body jump a bit. 

"I do, actually." Gavin looked at Michael. He saw the worry that filled his eyes to the brim. "Lindsay'll be back, don't worry." He knew that Michael was worried about her a bit more.

"I... it's just..." Michael groaned. "What if she gets hurt?"

"People get hurt, Michael." Gavin shrugged. "But they recover. I did." The British man smiled his crooked smile. "Besides, that damn lass can pin me down with one arm. I'm sure Lindsay can handle herself."

Michael chuckled. "Yeah, she even gives me competition."

"The fantastic Mogar."

"Thanks for the recognition."

Gavin put an arm over Michael's shoulders, which the warrior groaned about and tried to shrug off.

It wasnt working. "Aw, my Micool's got a girlfriend~" Gavin said in a singsong voice with a giggle.

Michael pushed Gavin's arm off of him. "I swear to God, I'll rip those stitches out of your arm..."

"Ow!" Gavin exaggerated as if it happened, wincing. "That would actually bloody hurt."

"Yeah, that does sound pretty painful." Michael's eye twitches at the gory thought. Then he looked back at Gavin. "...um... don't mention the whole... Lindsay and I thing too much..."

"Why not?" Gavin's smile didn't waver. "It's adorable." Then he realized. "Aw, you're embarrassed~" Gavin loved seeing Michael all flustered. It was the most amusing thing.

"What? PFT- I mean, it's just... I guess- shut the fuck up Gavin." Michael finally gave up on trying to explain. He had no malice in his voice, but just covered his eyes with a hand. Gavin sighed at his friend as he shook his head with an understanding smile.

"Don't worry, Mikey." Gavin said. Michael shot him a fiery glare.

"Don't call me that."

"Whatever, pleb. I'm not going to mention it too much." Gavin sighed, and sat cross-legged on the man's bed.

"...it would be nice if she came back..." Michael said more to himself. He was scared that she wasn't going to return in the best condition... or at all.

"She will. Her and Ryan must be screwing around." Gavin's smile melted a bit when he said that. "Not like SCREW screw, I meant-"

"Gavin, for God's sake, shut up." Michael groaned. "I know what you mean." He couldn't help but chuckle at how easily Gavin got flustered himself. 

"So, should I get out of here?" The British man asked, pointing to Michael's door. "Are you going to bed?"

Michael shook his head. "I can't."

"Me neither."

"I'll get us something to eat, then. Then you can tell me about how it was in the Nether."

"I can summarize it, it was damn bloody Hell."

Ryan, Lindsay, and Caleb had been in Caleb's campsite, all pretty confused, happy, and again, confused. Caleb was wearing his usual outfit, a white T-shirt with dark red crosses on the sleeves and pair of dark red pants. He crossed his arms as Ryan and Lindsay explained what happened after he was reported missing in the Nether.

"I... I did die." Caleb said. "Or at least, I think I did. I'm not sure." He was pretty unsure of what was happening. "I got into a bit of trouble with the Wither skeletons, and then... I was here." He shrugged. "I'm not alone."

"Really?" Lindsay got more excited. They were really getting their friends back. They really found them. 

"Yeah, Kerry and Kdin are here." Caleb nodded. "Kdin was here first, I believe. Kerry came last."

"My God..." Ryan whispered to himself. Even he couldn't contain his bewilderment. "So you can come back."

"I'm not sure." Caleb sighed. "We've tried, but it's like every portal we go through, it brings us to the Nether, then back here."

"Interesting." Ryan said. This was all a new thing he could look into. They needed the Nether more than ever now.

"Where are the other two?" Lindsay asked urgently. She had to see them.

Caleb craned his neck over his shoulder. "I told them to come meet me here after our hunting, so they should be here right about..."

An arrow shot out, and hit the tree nearest to Ryan, who cried out in alarm.

"...now."

The two men came from the cover of the trees. "Caleb, what..." Kerry trailed off. He stared at the newcomers. Kdin came into better view too, the burning fire illuminating the purple of his Enderdragon styled hoodie as he took his hands out of the pockets of his dark gray pants.

"...hey, guys." Lindsay waved with a smirk.

There was a beat of silence, then Kdin immediately ran over and tackled her with a hug.

"LINDSAY!" He shouted in happiness. She was giggling from his sudden 'attack'. They had always been close. It broke her heart when he was reported missing back in Achievement City.

Kerry was still unsure about what was going on. "I don't... understand..." He pointed at Ryan. "Are you dead?"

Ryan shook his head. "No, I'm not..." He sighed. "I guess we should continue explaining then." He cast a glance over at Kdin, who he felt immediately guilty over transferring him here because of his damn stupid potion.

Kdin and Kerry settled down by the fire, ears open for Ryan to begin speaking. "We... we found you guys through a portal." He said. "It wasn't a normal portal that took us back to our overworld. Instead, it took us to your overworld." He paused to make sure he was clear. They didn't seem lost just yet. "Maybe it's certain portals that take you to certain dimensions. The portal's surface color we came through was pink."

"Pink?" Kdin was curious. "Ours are usually purple..."

"Same for us." Lindsay agreed. They were all sitting comfortably at the warm fire as the moon illuminated their area a bit. "We came through a pink one though. Maybe if you go through it, you'll come back into our dimension."

"How?" Kerry was getting confused. "Wouldn't we just be in our Nether?"

"You'd be in your Nether if you went through a purple portal from here." Caleb clarified. He shot a glance at Ryan for confirmation that he was right.

Ryan nodded. "I believe that's how the logic works. Once you go through the pink portal, you should be coming back to our dimension. Then all purple portals from there should be to our overworld."

"So..." Kdin stood up, and stretched with a yawn. "What're we waiting for?" He smiled when the rest stood with him. "Let's go home."

Geoff woke up that morning, immediately feeling the nausea of worry since he had not heard a word about Ryan or Lindsay. He sighed, and got out of bed unwillingly.

Hopefully they aren't gone like the others.

He washed his face in his cauldron and smoothed down his mustache before suiting up. Geoff suddenly felt like shit. He didn't want to leave his house, he didn't want to smile, and he was DAMN sure he didn't want to fake hope.

Because honestly, he was beginning to think that he was down two people again.

Only five left, huh?

Jack had knocked on Michael's door. When hearing no response, the bearded man took it upon himself to open the always unlocked door.

He sure wished the others were there to see the sight.

Michael and Gavin were sleeping in the bed. Gavin, despite hurt, was the one holding Michael close as the warrior (who looked more like a damsel) had curled himself up a bit and actually laid his head on Gavin's chest.

It was the funniest thing Jack had ever seen.

The man's laughter was what startled them awake. Well, at least Gavin awake. Him, being a lighter sleeper, woke up with such a start that he kicked Michael, who ended up on the floor in seconds.

Gavin squeaked in surprise as Jack had to hold the doorframe, doubled over in laughter. Michael woke up slowly, rubbing where he got hurt from getting thrown to the floor.

"What the actual fuck, Gavin-" He stopped and looked up at the ginger builder, who had now bit his lip to stop him from fainting from laughter. "What the hell?"

"Jack, it wasn't..." Gavin coughed a bit. "It wasn't what it looked like."

"What WHAT looked like?" Michael was still groggy and getting up. "What the fuck is going on?"

"You guys were..." Jack had to pause to chuckle. "You guys were cuddling."

"I- what- no fucking way!" Michael went red, along with Gavin. They were both babbling, embarrassed idiots long after Jack left them.

The rest of the day went on, with the blanket of worry over the unresponsive friends very apparent. People shot glances at Ryan's house, or at Geoff's. Geoff hadn't come out from his house at all.

They knew what he was feeling. He did that every time they lost someone.

"I don't understand why he's sulking right now." Michael admitted. "We don't know they're really gone yet."

"Geoff's got a lot on his mind." Ray sighed. "He may think it was his fault for Ryan running off." 

"Well-" Michael was about to admit that that was sort of what happened, but someone caught his attention.

Or, a few people did.

Geoff hadn't heard the happiness from outside that evening. He had been downstairs when the people reunited.

What he did hear, though, was the knock on his door.

"Go away." Geoff didn't even look at the door when he came back upstairs. "I'm not in a dicking around mood."

"How uncharacteristic of you." A familiar sarcastic, deep voice said. Geoff's heart did a somersault.

It couldn't be. It just couldn't...

Geoff immediately went to open the door.

Ryan stood in front of him, with his usual mischievous grin. "I heard I got you worried."

Geoff didn't know how to feel. This asshole had just worried him for hours. He'd worried all of them for hours. How dare he just say that like he didn't care?

The mustached man stared up at Ryan, their blue eyes both analyzing each other.

Shit, he did care.

Ryan stood there, not moving. He waited for Geoff to make the first move. Whether it was a shove, a door to the face, or a punch, he'd take it. Ryan realized he did need it for what he realized he had put his older friend through.

But, instead of doing anything hostile, Geoff suprised both of the men.

He hugged Ryan tight and close.

And for the first time, he cried because someone had come back instead of disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment what you thought about the chapter!


	12. Seven Plus Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the population of the men's world grew by three, Geoff and Ryan finally get to talk. And when they did, a new question popped up.  
> Can Geoff wipe that damn smirk off of Ryan's face any time soon?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's short, I promise it's just because it's the ending of an in-story story. After one or two chapters, another story will begin, that I will enjoy telling...  
> Comment what you think about this chapter!  
> Tumblr: aam5ever  
> Feel free to send me questions about this fanfic! (And I swear if someone sends me fan art I'll flip a shit because wow fan art is amazing)  
> Enjoy!

It was such a great night. They all decided to go into Geoff's house, because it was the only one that could hold all of them effortlessly.

All ten of them.

Oh, it was like music to his ears for Geoff to think of that.

Lindsay offered to make a cake, but Ray immediately refused there be any cake present. After a few minutes of getting shit on by his friends, he and the rest decided cookies were the best bet.

Cookies, easy to make.

Simple ingredients, simple way to make it.

How did they managed to fuck up the cookies?

"Damn it!" Kdin shouted as he laughed at the charcoal cookies. Gavin took one of the cookies, bit into it, and immediately gagged, having to run out of the house to prevent himself from spitting it out on Geoff's floor.

Ryan chuckled at the younger man's antics, arms folded as he saw the others try to make other things to eat with Geoff's furnace, chest, and crafting table.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Geoff moved closer to him. Ryan looked over at him, then smirked. After that passionate hug they shared earlier, they hadn't really talked much until then. "How things that fell apart just... came together again."

"You're right." Ryan nodded. "For once." He added for his own amusement.

Geoff pushed him, and his stumbled to the left a bit. "Dick."

"Don't forget that very emotional hug you gave me earlier." Ryan teased. "I was about to think you were gonna kiss me at some point." 

Geoff was about to defend himself, but then- 

"At least we found some of Geoff's booze..." Michael held up a brown bottle. Everyone else cheered, and Geoff marched over and grabbed the alcohol from Michael's hand. Ryan and Jack couldn't help but chuckle.

Geoff rolled his eyes. "Don't even think about it." He smirked before taking a swig of the bottle himself.

The rest of the night was a blur of good feelings and good times. Everyone told funny stories, from both dimensions, and they even ventured to play truth or dare. 

"Lindsay, truth or dare?" Caleb asked her. She smirked.

"Truth."

"Are you and Michael fucking dating yet?" Geoff interjected before Caleb could even ask a question. "Because fucking do it already, if you're not."

Caleb, Kerry, and Kdin's eyes widened. Everyone else had shit-eating grins on their faces, except for Michael, who looked down as he tried to hide him pink cheeks and smile.

From him, they all heard a grumbled "Yes" that they all cheered about. 

"FINALLY!" Geoff yelled with a whoop afterwards.

As the night winded down, the reunited people realized a bit of a problem.

Where the fuck were they gonna live?

"Well..." Kerry stretched. "I personally am tired of living in the forest."

Michael piped up. "...we never got rid of your room, Kerry."

Kerry smiled at the fact that they didn't destroy it. "Thanks."

Caleb and Kdin were asked by Lindsay to stay with her in the forest. "Besides, I need help keeping the damn monsters away in the night." Was her excuse. They agreed to live there instantly. Apparently, they both had loved sleeping in the forest. The three talked about it as they headed back into the forest, where they would get settled.

Kerry left with Michael, and Michael showed him his room. They both agreed it needed a damn ton of dusting.

As people trickled out of Geoff's house, it came down to Gavin, Ryan, and Goeff at some point.

Gavin looked at the two men who were cleaning up. "Okay, whatever bloody happened between you two plebs, did you guys kiss and make up or what?"

Ryan looked at Gavin with a smirk and a cocked eyebrow. "Kiss...?"

"Don't worry about it, Ryan." Geoff sighed. "He's just being a dumb jackass."

"Ay, I'm still here, you know!"

Geoff stood up straight. "Indeed you are." He threw a bag of terribly burnt cookies to the lad, who caught it instinctively. "Now go dump those in a lake or something. Dicks, I don't give a shit. Just get them out of the city."

"For God's sakes..." Gavin grumbled. "What a cookie monstrosity this is..." He exited Geoff's house.

And then there were two.

When Ryan finished his share of cleaning, he let out a loud sigh and cracked his knuckles as he stood up straight. "Well, that was fun."

"Of course." Geoff smirked. "It was at MY house."

Ryan took a few steps closer to the older man, and shook his head. "You're such an idiot."

"That's no way to talk to your boss, asshole." Geoff playfully joked.

Ryan sighed, looked away, and then looked back at the tattooed man with a sad, apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Geoff."

Geoff was taken aback. He hadn't expected that from Ryan. He usually never gave apologies out. "Ryan, it was just a joke, calm down..." The man smirked, trying to continue the joke.

"You know that's not what I meant."

Geoff bit his lip, sure that Ryan was being serious. He stood there and stared at the younger man while Ryan began his apology.

"I really was being too stubborn. I didn't bother listening to you, or even go to the meeting. I worried you all to death, and I..." He scratched his face before continuing. "I made you cry." His voice was full of regret.

"Ryan, it's okay..." Geoff had wanted the man to feel sorry, sure. But all this confession and... emotion from the man that was uncharacteristically coming from him made Geoff feel... weird.

Not in a bad way. Just in the way like he really shouldn't be seeing it. 

"No, Geoff, it wasn't." Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not the most reasonable when it comes to something I don't want."

"I've realized." Geoff smirked.

"It's just..." Then Ryan explained his reasoning for going to the Nether. The story, the countless times he went to the hellish world just to look for the tale's rumored of the portal... it all began to make sense to Geoff. Ryan cared about his friends more than Geoff had ever thought. "...sure, I do make potions that need Nether supplies, but I really did get all defensive because I thought, just thought, that I could find them some day."

"...you should've told me." Was the tattooed man's first response to it all.

Ryan rolled his eyes at the thought. "Would you have REALLY believed me?"

Geoff thought about it, then shook his head with a slight smile. "Yeah... I guess not." 

"It's no excuse for my behavior, though." Ryan looked directly at Geoff. "I'm really sorry."

Geoff realized that his apology was in order too. "I am too..." His voice cracked. He ignored it. "I didn't really mean to be such an asshole with you. I should've at least thought about how you must've felt. Taking away a whole world that you needed must've sounded devastating. And now, now that I know why you wanted to go in the Nether so much..." Geoff frowned. "I can't imagine how it felt."

"It felt how it did when you thought you lost Lindsay and I, I bet." Ryan took another step closer. "Like you lost hope."

"Yeah, you're right as dicks."

"How right can dicks be?"

"Ask Michael. He'd just have to count how many times he's been right."

They laughed at Geoff's joke. Finally, they smiled at each other.

"I'm glad we got to talk." Ryan admitted. "I was worried about how this would... go down..."

"It's fine." Geoff smirked. "At least now we can go back to being idiots to each other."

Ryan's face changed from a genuine smile to a mischevious look. "Now, about that kiss..."

"Fuck up, Ryan."

"What? You're the one that sobbed into my arms."

"I am actually gonna kill you if you tell anyone else." Geoff shot Ryan a warning glare.

"Kiss me and my lips are sealed."

Embarrassed by the deal Ryan wanted to make, Geoff went and got his sword from the shelf, and Ryan put his hands up in defense.

"I'm kidding! Kidding..." He smirked as Geoff lowered the sword.

"You really do say a lot of suggestive shit, Ry."

"It's my specialty. I love seeing people get all flustered, seeing as I never get embarrassed easily." Ryan said with confidence. Geoff shook his head at the man, and realized how fast Ryan had easily gotten him all bothered and embarrassed.

Now all he needed to do was fluster the man, and Geoff would be content.

The next morning, everyone woke up in a good mood. Geoff, though, was in an especially good one. He had been planning to try and get Ryan back for making him feel like a dumbass with his damn weird flirtation and stupidly impossible coolness.

Ryan woke up to some strange chatting outside his house, along with a giggle here and there. He grumbled about not getting enough fucking sleep before opening his door.

"There's the man of the hour!" Jack snickered. Ryan's hair was a mess and he stared blankly at the collection of people there.

"Huh...?" Ryan said sleepily. He was just plain confused.

"How much do you love dicks, Ryan?" Michael said with a huge grin on his face.

Now Ryan was even more confused.

"What the hell are you guys... talking..." He trailed off. The man finally looked at what the men of the city, including Kerry, were laughing about.

In front of his house, on his Kung Fu picture, in big capital letters, I LOVE DICKS was sloppily written with paint.

Ryan could've been surprised, sure. He could've gotten angry, eh. But as soon as he glanced to the side and saw Geoff's I-got-you-now look, he had no other choice.

He smirked.

"Well, I don't usually prefer dicks..." He stepped out of his doorframe confidently. "But hey, what can I say. Everyone can go for one or two dicks at times." The man leaned against his house, next to the words, exuding nothing close to shame.

"Jesus, Ryan!" Gavin squawked. "You're a weird dude!"

"Gavin, admit it." Ryan smiled with a slight shrug. "You had to have been in that mood for one of them when Jack caught you and Michael cuddling-"

"JACK WHAT THE FUCK?!" Michael instantly yelled. Geoff's eyes went wide. Not by the cuddling thing, but at how quickly Ryan had turned the situation around.

"What? It was a funny story." Jack chuckled.

Gavin's jaw dropped. "I- wha- it wasn't cuddling, you piss pot!"

"Did I miss something?" Kerry was obviously out of the loop.

As the men continued their laughing and squabbling, Ryan looked at Geoff, who had a shocked expression on how effortlessly Ryan had diverted the situation.

Or at how idiotic his city members were.

"I want that paint off by sun down, if it isn't too much trouble." Ryan mischievously shot Geoff a smirk before closing the door to his house and going back to bed.

The tattooed man only stared at the door before realizing he had to plan a better way to catch the man off guard. There was no way this was the end.

Oh, and no fucking way was he cleaning that off Ryan's house.


	13. Training Day, Training- Hey!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Geoff is still trying to figure out how to get under Ryan's skin, Gavin decides that it's as good a day as any to get some training in with a brand new training area!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a filler (sorry) but I did want to show how different Gavin and Michael were with weapons. Also, sorry in advance, story Geoff.  
> (Tumblr: aam5ever)

It was Sunday now, and the whole city had nothing to do. They had skipped the game on Friday for obvious reasons, and were lazily hanging around, talking and laughing.

Kdin and Jack were discussing building techniques that morning.

"So, you use regular brick?" Jack folded his arms when he asked the question.

"Yeah, I used it when we-"

"GAVIN!" An angry voice yelled in Michael's house. The two looked over to see Gavin run out of Michael's wooden house, and an angry warrior sprint after him. "COME BACK HERE YOU STUPID FUCK!"

"Woah..." Kdin smiled at the two as Gavin squawked and continued to run. His laughter reached Michael's ears, which only got him angrier.

"YOU THINK I'M KIDDING?!" Michael finally got close to the lad to grab his scarf. It pulled the Brit back, and he squeaked before falling on his back hitting the logo underneath him. He groaned before Michael picked him up by the collar.

"Michael, for God's sake..." Gavin giggled, even though the warrior was all that supported him. Michael scowled. 

"God damn it, Gavin. Gimme it." With the other hand, the man held it out for Gavin to place his treasure in it. Gavin slowly handed over the diamond sword, and Michael let him stand, even dusted him off a little.

"I just wanted to try it out..." Gavin pretended to pout. "Sorry, Michael."

The other man rolled his eyes. "You have to ASK, dipshit. You can't just snatch it off my shelf and run off with it."

"But it's funner that way." Gavin smiled crookedly. Michael only gave him an angry look before sighing and holding his diamond sword in both hands.

"...you really want to learn how to use a sword the right way?" Michael asked, curious. Gavin nodded a bit shyly as Jack and Kdin got back to their conversation.

"I'm not that good at sword-fighting." Gavin admitted with a shrug. "Suck arse at it, actually."

"That's how it is with me and..." Michael couldn't think of the word. "Using the bow and arrow."

"Archery?"

"Whatever the fuck."

Gavin got an idea. "Let's have a training day!" He smiled happily.

Michael shot him a puzzled look. "Training day?"

"Yeah!" Gavin fixed the creeper scarf around his neck. His wounds had been healing well, so he felt it was time he got into some action again before he forgot what a bow and arrow looked like. "I'll get Jack and Kdin to help build it with me! A whole training area!"

"You'll get us to do what?" Kdin had overheard his name with Jack's. "I just came back from an alternate dimension, and you're already putting me to work?"

Jack pat Kdin's back. "Excuses only take you so far, man. I had a cold once, and still had to help build a stupid game with Geoff. Threw up right after."

"Sounds like fun." Michael smiled at his friend. "I'll go get some wooden swords for dueling."

"Good idea!" Gavin complimented. "I'll get my bows and arrows."

It was only later that afternoon that the training area was set up. Kdin, Gavin, and Jack, with tips from Caleb and a little help from Geoff, constructed a nice area right outside of Achievement City, in a big clearing for the events to take place. Brick was used to make a track for runners to run on. It made a big square, and more activities circled around it.

Swords were in one chest, the dueling area indicated by the rectangle of redstone that people were to be inside when swordfighting. It was to the left of the track.

A bit behind that were dummies Jack made out of wood, pumpkins or melons for a head, for swordfighters to attack.

On the other side of the track was an obstacle course. It had fences to jump over, Nether brick walls with ladders to climb and jump down from on the other side, and the occasional small hole to avoid.

A bit behind that were trees with targets on them. In two chests were bows and arrows, that people could use to take shots at the trees if they stood behind the redstone line.

Instead of just a few people, everyone came to the training area when the news spread. There were water bottles in one chest and apples and carrots in another as the entered the gate. The whole area was closed off by stone fences, besides the gate.

God damn, dude." Geoff said. "This is awesome, and I didn't even build most of it."

"Thank you, Geoff." Jack and Kdin at the same time. Lindsay laughed at that.

Immediately, people began to look for things to do. Ray and Lindsay decided a race was in order. Ray, instead of wearing his suit, had on a T-shirt with the graphic of a suit on it, along with black cargo shorts and checkered shoes.

"You look like a dork." Lindsay teased.

"You'll look like a dork while you're choking on my dust." He smirked. They took their positions. Gavin stood by the side, ready to count down.

"On your mark..." He saw them adjust a little. "Get set... Go!" As soon as the word was given, the two took off. Ray had the lead at first, but Lindsay gained ground quickly. The Brit caught a glimpse of Ray tripping up a bit half way through the course. Gavin saw Ray lag behind a little while Lindsay was running faster than anyone he'd ever seen. She slowed down to a jog when she passed the starting line, then sat on the track, huffing and puffing.

"How's my dust taste, Ray?" She shouted to the man, who didn't even bother to make it past the finish line. He collapsed a foot before it.

"Terrible." He was still catching his breath before laying down on the brick in defeat.

Meanwhile, Caleb Geoff and Jack had been trying their hand at fighting the dummies. Geoff landed a few good blows on his wooden foe, but Caleb hadn't really been doing so much as scraping the surface of the stationary opponent.

Geoff looked over. "What, you're afraid of hurting a non-living thing too?" He teased.

"I'm a lover, not a fighter." Caleb chuckled.

"Pussy. Let me show you how it's done..."

Ryan had just tried (and failed) at archery, and was going over to get a water bottle when Kerry put a hand on is shoulder from behind him.

"Obstacle course?" He simply asked the man. Ryan mulled it over in his mind. He was never the best at obstacles of any nature that weren't mental...

Ah, fuck it.

"Yeah, wait for me there." He saw Kerry nod and head over to the obstacle course while Ryan got out a water bottle for himself. He took a big swig before sighing from the cold water and heading over to Kerry.

They got in a stance. They had called Jack over from his one mad sword fight to call when to begin.

"Alright. You ready?" He got nods in response. "On your mark... set... go!"

The two began making their way down the obstacle course. They hopped the fences, jumped over the holes, even crawled under a high fence. 

When Ryan saw the wall, he noticed Kerry was two strides ahead of him, already climbing the wall. Then, the man had an idea.

"What the hell?" Kerry said, dumbfounded. Ryan was waving at him, a smug look on his face. "How'd you get here so fast?"

Ryan pointed to the space between the wall and the fence. "It wasn't that tight of a squeeze."

Kerry rolled his eyes, angry more at himself that he didn't think of that. "I want a fair rematch."

"Let's do it."

Gavin and Michael had found time to take swords into their hands and begin a fight. It was more of a lesson, though, since every time Gavin was knocked on his ass, Michael gave him one or more pointers.

It was the fourth time, and Michael helped Gavin up again. He held onto his hand and simply said: "Bad stance. Spread your legs more." 

"Got it." Gavin nodded with a serious expression on his face. He tried to copy Michael's stance more. Michael smirked, happy that he was at least teaching Gavin something, before switching it up and using only one hand to fight.

"Ready?" He asked.

Gavin looked a bit more nervous as the warrior swung the sword in a circular motion in one hand and crouched a bit more. "I-I'm not sure-"

He couldn't get out his sentence before Michael used his wooden sword to try and swing at Gavin from the side. Gavin instinctively used his own sword to block the blow. Michael then used his right foot to kick the back of Gavin's knees, causing him to fall immediately. The man shouted before being taken out.

"That's bloody cheating!" He squeaked. Michael smiled softly.

"Yeah, you're right." He helped the British man up again. "Remember, when facing an opponent, there is no cheating."

Gavin nodded. "Yeah." He then took a firm grip on the wooden sword in his hand, and pushed Michael back. Michael, letting go of Gavin's hand, stumbled back from the sudden push. The Brit then used his sword and swept Michael off his feet, who groaned before sitting up and laughing.

"You got me there, jackass." Michael said with no malice. The warrior stood up, and they decided to call it a day with the whole swordfighting thing. 

Geoff had sighed and looked over at Ryan, who was talkin to Ray as they both drank from their water bottles. None of his make-Ryan-look-like-a-dumbass plans were working. He still had one plan in the back of his mind, but he didn't like it one bit. It would probably be one of the most stupid things he'll ever do.

Gavin and Michael moved to achery now. Michael picked out a bow and a couple of arrows, and immediately held the bow the wrong way.

Gavin chuckled. "You doughnut." He helped Michael at least hold the bow the right way, and then helped him get the bow lined up at a target. "Alright, shoot."

"...um..." Michael tried to line it up more, and then pulled the string back with the bow in it. He fired...

...and the bow almost took out Kdin.

"Hey!" Kdin ducked just in time. "Watch it!"

"Sorry!" Michael sheepishly called out. Gavin was giggling, and the warrior shot him a glare before snorting and laughing too.

Gavin helped Michael situate the bow and arrow again, and Michael let it fly.

It hit the target.

It may have it the very edge of the target, but it hit the target.

"Whoo!" Michael put both hands in the air. Gavin smiled. He was getting somewhere, at least.

Gavin took up a bow and a few arrows himself. "Want a demonstration?" He immediately got in his comfortable stance.

Michael nodded. He knew he'd get nowhere if Gavin only talked with not show. He folded his arms as Gavin slung the arrow carrier on his back. He pulled one out and immediately got it in the bow where it belonged.

That was the slowest thing he did.

He then quickly pulled the bow string back and the arrow flew and stuck to the bullseye. Gavin was rapid firing now. His hands worked quickly, wasting no time retrieving arrows from his back. He pulled and pulled, getting the angles right in split second speed. Each time he pulled and let go, the arrow he let go of stuck itself into the bullseye near it while he was getting another arrow lined up.

Michael only watched in astonishment at his friend. Sure, he knew Gavin knew his way around archery, but this was fucking ridiculous. When all the arrows were done, most of them were near or in the bullseye. Gavin sighed, coming out of his focus zone, and finally lowered his bow arm. He noticed Michael, his jaw dropped, his stare on the Brit.

Gavin smiled shyly. "Sorry, that was a bit too fast for you..."

"Yeah. No shit." Michael nodded before snapping out of it. "Damn, man. I've never seen anything so... so fucking quick."

"What?" Gavin shook his head with a goofier smile. "No way. You made a dog's dinner out of me when we just battled, and I couldn't even keep track of you. THAT was fast."

Michael shrugged. "I guess we both have different types of speed when we're in our element."

"At least we know why we make a good team." Gavin held his fist up. Michael bumped fists with the lad.

"Team Nice Dy-"

"What the-" Ryan was interrupted by Geoff's last attempt at flustering the man.

The stupidest, weirdest thing he'd ever done.

He kissed Ryan on the mouth.

Everyone just stared at them, and when Geoff pulled back, he smirked at Ryan, who had the most confused, embarrassed, FLUSTERED look on his face.

Then Jack spoke up with a well placed "What the hell just happened?"

"REVENGE, BITCH!" Geoff shouted, his voice cracking. Ryan was still trying to come out of that state of shock. 

"I'm so- I just-" Ray just chuckled nervously and unsurely. "What?" 

"WHO'S FLUSTERED NOW?" Geoff was still teasing Ryan, who just had a weird blush on his face. He was just trying to figure out what the hell happened, so he asked.

"...the fuck?"

"Dude, same." Caleb responded to Ryan. "What just happened?"

"This motherfucker just got revenge'd, that's what!" Geoff shouted back. 

"...are you sure that was revenge?" Lindsay asked, curious about the whole event.

"Usually, people enjoy kisses..." Kerry trailed off.

"It was revenge and he knows it." Geoff smirked mischievously at Ryan, who only tried to not blush so hard as he bit his lip, unsure what to do. I mean, how do even respond to that?

"Okay, okay..." Ryan threw his hands up. "You got me Geoff. You finally got me." He just wanted Geoff's pranks to stop before the tattooed man kissed him again. "Now, can we act like none of this happened?"

"That's gonna be hard." Jack admitted. Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Ha ha, funny. I'm going home, gonna go evaluate the meaning of life." Ryan laughed off. He got a chorus of goodbyes, along with a few one-liners about the kiss, before reaching the gate. Geoff stopped him before he left.

"Hey, Ryan." The mustached man called out to him.

Ryan turned around. "What?"

"No hard feelings?" Geoff shrugged with a grin tugging at his lips.

Ryan rolled his eyes again. "Geoff, if I wanted 'hard feelings', I wouldn't want them from you."

"You and the suggestive shit again, Ryan."

"I told you, it's my specialty."

"At least I gave you the kiss you oh so wanted."

Ryan had forgot about that. "Oh, damn it."

Geoff chuckled. "That's what happens when you tempt me, Haywood."

"I'll be sure I try to keep my suggestiveness to a minimum around you." Ryan smiled harmlessly as he turned back around and began walking home. Geoff smirked. That's exactly what he wanted.

Gavin couldn't help but giggle when getting a thought. Michael shot him a weird look.

"What're you laughing about?" The warrior asked the sandy haired man. Gavin suppressed his giggles before telling him.

"I bet Geoff kissed Ryan before you kissed Lindsay."

Michael went red immediately. "Shut the fuck up, how about you try that?" He didn't dare admit that it was true.

"You wanted to know..."

When everyone headed home, Geoff was stopped by Kerry.

"So, um..." He looked at Geoff. "Are you, like, gay now?"

Geoff let out a gut bursting laugh. "No way, man. Plus, Ryan isn't my type."

"So, what the hell was that?" Kerry continued to question.

"Just a bit of a... prank." He smirked. "Don't worry about it.


	14. ZOMBIES!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zombies, zombies everywhere!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day by day event (that is super short yet took so long to come out sorry) so enjoy!  
> (Tumblr: aam5ever)

It was a nice, calm Achievement City evening. Gavin were heading to the training area they had just built a few days before, going to practice his sword skills, when he heard it.

The dull moan of a zombie.

He stopped abruptly. The Brit was halfway to the training area, and he craned his neck both ways to check for any enemies. A few moments passed, and Gavin assumed the threat had as well.

He only needed to walk a few more steps to hear the collective moans coming from the forest.

One squint to see the trouble.

And a few steps backwards before running back to the city.

"Yeah, so I'm on top of the spider jockey right-"

Caleb interrupted Ray. "You're on a spider?"

"No, I'm on the spider jockey himself while HE'S on the spider." Ray explained.

"So a spider jockey sandwich?"

Ray rolled his eyes. "Sure. So, he fuckin'-"

"LEG IT!" Gavin squealed as he came around the corner of Geoff's house, which Ray and Caleb had been leaning on. 

"Woah!" Caleb jumped, a bit startled by the Brit's sudden appearance. "What's up? Calm down!"

He almost tripped over himself as he came to a sudden stop in front of the two. Gavin double over, hands on his knees, huffing and puffing for air. He really needed to get back into shape. "Zombie... horde..."

"Zombies?" Ray's brow furrowed. He and Caleb went and looked around the corner of Geoff's house...

...to see about a hundred zombies heading their way.

"Oh fuck." They both said at the same time. Gavin was already at Jack's house, knocked on the door until his knuckles hurt and screaming about their uninvited guests.

"Gavin, what the hell..." Jack opened his door, and finally understood what Gavin said. He, Kerry, Kdin, Ryan and Geoff were in the middle of the city instantly. They all had their weapons at the ready as the zombies came closer and closer, before charging at the horde.

Where were Lindsay and Michael?

The two were walking back to Achievement City from Lindsay's camp. They had just had a splendid dinner (that Lindsay caught herself) and were about to end their 'date' with a embrace and maybe something more.

They were reaching the end of the tree line, and Michael was beginning to think up ways to end the date. A firm handshake? A hug? A pat on the head?

...maybe he'd finally try a kiss.

"I had a really nice day." Lindsay smiled as they stood at the edge of the forest just before Achievement City.

"Me too." He hugged her. They hugged for a while before slowly letting go. Then, hands still in each other's, they closed their eyes and leaned in...

Lindsay stopped short. "What was that?"

"Huh?" Michael's eyes shot open after the woman's and looked around. His ears picked up the sound of the signature moans of zombies. They weren't near them, but there were so many, it had to be a horde.

"...I think there's a horde." The red headed girl read his thoughts. "But where?"

"They only horde up when around humans." Michae's eyes showed realization. "Let's go to Achievement City."

Both had their swords at their hips, so when they got to the city, they were ready to face whatever shit storm was there.

They just didn't expect so many fucking zombies, though.

Gavin was on top of his house, shooting arrows at zombies like a oiled turret. They went down, but more replaced them. He cursed, but kept doing all he could to get the monstrosities down for the count.

Jack was wielding his ax, and Geoff his sword. They stuck close to each other as they fended off the monsters, who groaned and gurgled as they tried to maim the humans.

Caleb, Ryan, Kerry, and Kdin were battling the creatures individually, and Ray had just been knocked down by one of the undead. Michael rushed over to behead the the zombie descending on his friend as Ray was helped up by Lindsay. Ray looked at them in panic.

"Holy SHIT, dude." He said breathlessly. He kicked another of the undead away from them. He recovered his sword from the ground, and he and Michael began to cut through the masses.

Lindsay moved onto a different direction, towards Gavin.

"Gav!" She yelled up to Gavin as she was stabbing a zombie through the stomach. It disappeared with a 'poof'.

Gavin saw the bright red hair, and knew that he needed to help her. Meticulously yet quickly, the British man shot arrows into zombies while the woman chopped down the rest that Gavin hadn't tended to. She moved closer to his perch, and soon, got the oppurtunity to begin climbing up to join him. 

A zombie got a good grab on Lindsay's boot, and pulled her off the stone structure. She was on her back, her head still spinning while she brought her sword up to block a slobbering, slack-jawed one of the undead. A dangling piece of flesh loosened and fell into her hair, but she didn't have any chance to notice as she gave a huge heave and pushed the creature off of her.

Getting her clear second attempt, Lindsay scaled Gavin's house, and crouched with him. He managed to glance at her before focusing on more shooting.

"You... have flesh... in your hair." The man said between points of focus. Lindsay squeaked out an 'ew' before flicking it out of her velvet hair. 

"So... what's the game plan?" Lindsay asked. There seemed to be no end to this invasion. Even if they were killed and respawned in their houses, it would be a nightmare. The zombies would only attack them as soon as their door opened.

"Game plan?" Gavin shot her a confused look before getting one of the monsters right between the eyes. Or, eye and eye socket. "Never heard of one." He obviously and truly only had one objective: try to kill them all.

Caleb and Kdin were in that same state of mind. "Kdin, get up!" Caleb shouted before a zombie clawed at him. It got him a scratch on his cheek, which he returned with a stab in the chest from a borrowed sword. He was more of a pacifist, but these monsters just HAD to go.

"I'm trying- argh!" A zombie had toppled onto Kdin, and all he could to was push it off of him in disgust. The rotting smell of the area was almost crippling. Kdin got up again. They were slashing and slaying, sure, but it was just a mess everywhere. It was like there was a constant respawn of the undead in Achievement City. They just weren't going away. 

Kerry had Ryan's back, making another one of the disgusting creatures vanish before it could go to bite the cow keeper's neck. Said man was already having difficulties and three zombies were clawing and grabbing at him. He cut down two, but one managed to rip his shirt and scratch his arm pretty deep with its jagged, long nails. Ryan chopped into that one immediately after, biting the inside of his cheek to try and dull the stinging pain from the scratch. He knew he could just respawn later, but for now, he just had to stick through the pain.

Geoff groaned in frustration as he shook off another one of his enemies. "Jack, we need to find the spawner or something of these things." He managed to say before kicking another zombie away.

Jack nodded, and beheaded yet another zombie. He and Geoff were beginning to lag. They were growing tired and weary, while the zombies could go on for hours. The sun was pretty much gone at this point, and the zombies had the advantage. They might never defeat all of them. They might have to push the button.

It looked as if that might be the case.

"Cover me!" Jack shouted to the older man. He managed to slip away a bit, with the help of Geoff, and extract himself from most of the crowd. "Damn..."

The zombies were crawling up some of the buildings. Gavin and Lindsay were trying their best to beat them off the stone structure. Geoff was standing his ground as best as he could. Jack could tell that everyone he saw, even Michael and Ray, we're getting tired and lame as they defeated more and more monsters. However, only more replaced the ones that vanished.

Jack saw that the zombies were coming from a certain area. The moon shines down on him and the city as he jogged over to see where exactly it was coming from. A few zombies turned and came at him, but he defeated them easily. 

It was a spawner, Jack realized. It wasn't out in the open, since he noticed a small cave where the zombies emerged from. They all immediately went for the city. Again, a few directed their attacks towards the bearded man. Again, they met their demise.

Jack immediately went to the cave. He stuck to the shadows, hoping the emerging undead wouldn't notice him. He began to tip toe closer to the spawner. The man stopped when a zombie did, and he saw the eyes of the monster staring at him, it's low moan causing his skin to crawl. Eventually, said zombie went on its way to disturb the city, like the rest.

The man continued to go to the spawner. He reached it, and slowly drew his sword. Before anymore could spawn, Jack swung at the spawner.

Gradually, Michael began to realize how the number of zombies were growing thinner and thinner. He and Ray shared a knowing glance before continuing onward with their constant slaughter. The monsters vanished with vapor and smoke, and soon, the threat was removed from Achievement City permanently.

All of the city's members plus the forest dwellers met in the middle of the city.

"Holy fuck..." Michael sighed. They were all tired, sweaty, and spent. "Is it over?"

"I hope so..." Caleb dropped his sword to the side before putting his hands on his knees to take a few breaths. "Does anyone... have water?"

"I thought we'd have to use the button." Geoff chuckled.

"That would've been a lot of shit to clean up." Kdin said with a laugh.

"They came from a spawner." Jack approached the rest. "I had to destroy it."

"You destroyed a spawner?" Ryan was impressed. Those things were pretty tough. "Props to you."

Jack smiled. "Thanks."

"I guess we should... um..." Lindsay coughed. "Go home, then?"

"Yeah, I guess." Ray shrugged.

"Um... good job, everybody."

"Shut up Gavin."


	15. The Beginning of the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geoff realizes that it's time. Time to pay a visit to that flying bastard in the End. But, of course, he and the rest can't go in without supplies! How could this possibly be dramatic?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead I promise.  
> To be honest, this part was supposed to be easy-going with jokes and such. I didn't mean to make it Lindsay-centric (I'm happy I did anyway) and I didn't mean for all this excess drama oh lordy~  
> (Tumblr- aam5ever)  
> (Feel free to ask me Q's about the story)

It was a Friday, a beautiful one at that, when all ten of them were meeting in the city. Geoff had a proposition for them. It was a dangerous one, one that would take longer than a single Friday, but it was an damn adventurous one. 

"Today's game is more of an... an adventure." Geoff explained. "We might not be able to get all of you guys to participate. This isn't for the Tower of Pimps at all, actually, so Ryan gets to keep it for a bit more."

"Yay!" Ryan said randomly.

Geoff rolled his eyes. "Anyway, we may need some of you to stay behind at a certain point."

"Where are we going where people have to stay behind?" Kdin asked, pulling his Enderdragon hood over his head. Geoff smirked.

"Funny you should ask, because we're visiting your little friend on your hood." He informed them. Everyone immediately looked at the hood. It was silent for a few moments, and then Michael's voice grumbled:

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"It'll be fine..." Geoff reassured them all. "Like I said, it'll be adventurous. Plus, it's time we defeated that damn dragon."

"It never fucking bothered me..." Ray said under his breath.

"I think we should do it." Jack shrugged. "What harm can it do us?"

"Um, we can die?" Caleb said obviously. "It has the same properties as the Nether."

"But," Lindsay interjected. "we'll have an adventure!" She was excited, to be honest. She's always wanted to take on a real challenge.

"That's the spirit we need!" Geoff smiled at Lindsay. 

"Suck up." Michael whispered to the woman. She only giggled and shoved him a bit with her shoulder.

"So," Ryan began. "are we really doing this?"

"Fuck yeah we're really doing this." Geoff assured. "And guess who's going to help collect the supplies?"

"Ugh..." Kerry groaned. 

"So, I'm basically doing my usual job." Jack smirked. "Finding materials."

Geoff nodded, then gave them all earpieces to communicate with like usual. "Today, we collect. Tomorrow, we go stronghold hunting."

"Stronghold hunting?" Ray became a bit more interested. "How long will this take?"

"Depends how hard we work." Geoff tossed all of them pickaxes. "Go get your own swords. Forest dwellers," He addressed the four. "I'll give you swords." He clasped his hand behind his back like a general. "Best of luck."

The group dispursed, most of them going to get more tools and food from their house. Eventually, they all began taking off for supplies for the upcoming adventure. Geoff got a hold of his map, but took his own pickaxe as well. Maybe he could help this time too.

"So, anyone find anything yet?" Gavin asked not even two minutes before leaving Achievement City. 

"Dirt."

"Trees."

"ENDERMAN!" Ray shouted, panicked by the sudden new presence. The rest laughed at him. 

"Kill it!" Geoff exclaimed to Ray as he was beginning to mine. "You'll need an enderpearl."

"What?" Ray said. He had murdered the monster, and picked up the strong yet fragile-looking pearl. He fixed the glasses on his nose and stared at the blue-green sphere. "Why do we need it?"

"We need it to find the stronghold." Ryan explained. "I did a bit of research on it for Geoff." He began chopping down a tree. He had quickly gone and picked up an axe in his house (though not a very strong one) just to get wood. He knew they'd be needing it in due time.

"So, how many do we need?" Caleb asked. He and Jack had decided to team up for the moment to find supplies together. It was no competition, so they were now strolling in the forest, stopping once and a while to get meat from an unlucky animal. 

Geoff thought for a while. "Um..."

"A lot." Michael answered for Geoff. "When he says 'um', he means a lot." The warrior groaned as he began chopping into a tree.

"...maybe..." Geoff said mischievously. He was walking towards the mouth of a cave when Gavin come into view.

"Woah!" Gavin was startled to see the man. Geoff only chuckled at the Brit.

"Hey Gavin."

Gavin looked towards the big cave just ahead of them. "Wanna go check it out?"

Geoff didn't answer, but only began to walk towards the cave. His friend tagged along, without verbal invitation.

"So, what should we be looking for exactly?" Gavin asked him.

"Supplies for tools, some food... Endermen..." He explained. "And some supplies for armor too."

"This is gonna take forever." Kdin complained. He and Lindsay were down in a different cave, mining some coal. "Lindsay, to your left-"

"Got it." She mined more coal that he pointed out to her. "Thanks."

They were all working for another hour when Geoff basically screamed into his earpiece.

"God damn it, Geoff!" Michael said, startled and angry at the older man's hollering. "What the fuck was that?"

"It sounded like he respawned." Kerry said.

"I just-" Gavin couldn't even finish his sentence without laughing. "I just... saw Geoff... walk off a bloody ledge and into lava."

"I'm dumb as dicks." Geoff chastised himself for his foolishness. The others laughed at him.

"I'm not gonna go against that." Jack and Caleb chuckled at the former's joke before they continued to hunt for game. They paused when they heard rabbits and chickens.

"To the right." Jack said in a low voice to his friend. Caleb nodded, sword at the ready, before cutting a rabbit down to a mere corpse. He then took out the chicken that followed. Jack put the game in his inventory.

"Gavin, did you get my-"

"I got your inventory, Geoff." Gavin said to his boss as he was walking out of the cave with both Inventories in hand. The British man waited at the mouth of the cave for Geoff to return.

"Good."

After a few more minutes, Michael was wondering where Lindsay was. In fact, he was wondering where everyone was. He had entered the jungle, a place they all hardly ever went, and had been too focused on getting supplies to notice how far he went. To be honest, he didn't even have a clue how to get back to Achievement City from there.

"I fucking feel like Ryan when we had to find the tower."

"Why?" Lindsay smirked as he heard him sound so confused. "Do you have an urge to murder me in the rain?"

"I'm lost, that's what I'm trying to-"

"The rain wasn't my doing." Ryan defended himself as he collected some apples from a tree. "It just happened to be dramatic."

"Ryan's whole life happened to be dramatic." Was Ray's one liner. It earned him a few chuckles. "Seriously though, where the fuck are you, Michael?"

"Um..."

Gavin laughed when he checked the map he got from Geoff's Inventory. "How's the jungle, my boy?"

"You know, damp. Vines everywhere." Michael looked up a tree to see a possible treat for them all. "Cool, cocoa beans."

Gavin giggled at Michael's antics. Lindsay rolled her eyes at the lads as she wiped some sweat off her forehead. She secured another torch to the left cave wall before her and Kdin continued down, down, down into the ground. They stopped short when they reached a mineshaft.

"Which way?" Kdin's voice echoed down both areas of the long, abandoned mineshaft.

Lindsay only shrugged, then pointed to the left of her. It had less spider webs, and didn't look as dark and menacing as the path to the right.

Kdin and her began walking, careful for webs, unrecognizable pools of liquid, and loose areas in the mineshaft such as the track itself or even the ground underneath it. For all they knew, it was a mineshaft with a bigger cave under it, and it could fall apart. They'd lose all their coal and other supplies, which was going to be frustrating to restore. 

"Gavin, hand me a torch?" Geoff held out his hand. The Brit complied, handing the wooden light to his older friend. The mustached man held it up as the fire overlapped and smoked, the looking around the darker area they had entered. "Maybe we should be careful. Monsters tend to spawn in-"

Gavin's squeal interrupted him, and then an explosion followed afterwards. Geoff turned around. Gavin didn't get respawned. Instead, he was in the small crater the creeper had defensively made, holding onto a ledge. The blast hadn't been too wide, but instead deep. Deep enough for Gavin not to be able to get back to Geoff without climbing, at least.

"You're a walking calamity." Geoff made fun of the Brit before pulling him up with one hand and holding the torch with the other. Gavin gave him a goofy smile.

"Cheers, Geoff."

Ray had found Ryan and Kerry's whereabouts, and they began traveling together. They mainly searched for supplies on the surface instead of underground. They reached a lake, and across it was the beginnings of the world's desert.

"Do we really need anything over there?" Kerry pointed over to the other side of the water mass.

Ray shrugged. "Unless we're planning to prick the Enderdragon to death with cacti, no."

"I mean..." Ryan made his usual 'I-have-a-plan' face. "We can try it..."

"You guys are morons." Kdin said. "Lindsay and I are actually making progress." He and Lindsay were turning the corner in the dark, dank mineshaft when they both stopped dead.

Red, glowing eyes stared at them from the darkness.

"Lindsay, what've you even been collecting?" Gavin asked, curious and skeptical of them even doing work. 

She didn't respond. She and Kdin only shared a worried, scared look in the dark. Slowly, Lindsay removed a small torch from her smaller Inventory. She then swiftly dragged the top of the torch against the mineshaft wall, which caused it to light immediately.

Cave spiders, lots of them, hissed at the sudden light.

"Lindsay and Kdin have gone quiet." Ryan noticed. He and the rest of the crew were continuing to talk aimlessly and leisurely as the two mentioned people stood frozen in front of the arachnids. Then, all the miscellaneous conversation was replaced with Lindsay frantically yelling "Run!" at Kdin.

"Sounds like they've gotten into trouble." Caleb smirked as he placed new, just slaughtered beef into his Inventory.

"THAT'S A FUCKIN' UNDERSTATEMENT!" Kdin responded loudly. The hisses and sounds of cave spiders gaining on them caused the two to continue running. 

Geoff chuckled from where he was with Gavin. "I'm glad I'm not with them, that's for damn sure."

"How'd you guys manage to get into so much shit?" Michael questioned as he climbed yet another tree with more cocoa beans. He slid down and fell on his behind with a yelp in surprise and a curse in realization.

"I have no idea!" Was Lindsay's response. Both their Enderdragon and bird hoods flapped against their backs constantly as they ran. They went towards the darker, much more rundown side of the abandoned mineshaft, both stumbling over some loose nails and kicking up dust. More hisses came from behind them, but both never dared to look back.

They were continuing to run, almost making it to an actual lit up path, when the floor gave away underneath them. Lindsay managed to hold onto the stable ground where she was just running. Kdin, however, was holding onto her boot. Only her boot.

Everything else around him was out of reach. Kdin looked down, and his stomach flopped. It was too dark to see how far the chasm goes, but it went far enough to determine certain death and then the following respawn. Here and there, he saw ledges, torches, a skeleton, and even a pool of lava. The only thing that stood between him and a mouthful of cave stone was Lindsay's foot.

What he was most worried about was how much progress he was going to lose in his Inventory.

"LINDSAY!" Kdin yelled up to her. "Take my Inventory!"

"No, I can get you up!" Lindsay said, sure that she could do it. The woman tried to lift herself and the foot that Kdin was desperately grasping onto. "Hold...on..." 

A spider came in front of her, hissing and trying to bite her with its dripping, sharp fangs. She nearly slipped in surprise, grabbing onto a lower, less sturdy ledge under where she was previously. Kdin clung on, and the force of her stopping him from falling almost made the woman cry out. He was going to break her ankle or something if another force like that happened. The spider's poison dripped down from its white fangs and down a few rocks, settling onto Lindsay's hand and ledge. It didn't hurt her, but it made the ledge she was desperately clinging onto very slick.

"Lindsay, the bag!" Kdin desperately yelled back up at her. He knew letting one hand go of her boot was suicide, but he couldn't keep dragging her down, or else they'd both lose their Inventories. 

Lindsay had her smaller Inventory attached to her hip. Kdin's was a bit larger, and she saw him begin to slowly let go of her boot.

"What the fuck is going on over there?" Jack asked while he and Caleb were returning to Achievement City. It was nearing evening, and they had enough game to keep the city sated for a week. That was their contribution, at least. "Kdin and Lindsay are-"

"KDIN, NO!" Lindsay suddenly shouted. He had let go. For Lindsay, the world seemed to be going in slow motion. Her fingers from one hand loosened and then let go of the ledge to catch the Inventory Kdin had threw to her as he fell, flailing and looking up at her to make sure she caught it. When she did, he smiled. Lindsay caught the smile before the man disappeared into the darkness that was the rest of the chasm. She didn't get the chance to try and climb up again, though, since she had forgotten the presence of the spiders.

One of the ungodly large creatures had crawled down to her level. She was slipping, slowly but surely. The spider's red, unforgiving eyes stared at her hand before it sunk its fangs into the fair skin.

Lindsay cried out in shock and pain, and with that, the grip loosened. She began to fall. A ledge was fast approaching, and the way she fell somehow got her to land on that nearby ledge. The initial impact winded and suprised her, and she lay there, gasping and trying to regain her composure.

Meanwhile, Michael and the rest were wondering what the fuck was going on. "Lindsay?" His voice was laced with worry. He knew that she couldn't permanently die in the overworld, sure. But that didn't stop him from thinking she may be seriously hurt. "Lindsay, are you okay?"

"Lindsay, did you make it?" Kdin asked over the earpiece. He was worried all her and his efforts were for naught.

She took a few more breaths before slowly sitting up. "Y-yeah... I guess... maybe..." The red head stole a glance at the bags. Their Inventories were safe and sound beside her. The woman then looked at her hand, and just staring at it made Lindsay's stomach turn.

Her vines were showing, and she saw the blood in said hand beginning to struggle to get blood flowing properly from one place to another. She felt it, too. Pulsating pain slowly began to creep into her hand. Lindsay knew she had to go, and fast, before she died and respawned, leaving their Inventory unsecured and lost.

Gavin and Geoff sighed at the same time. "It's evening now, guys. Try to get back to the city before sundown." Was Geoff's orders.

"Did anyone find any more enderpearls?" Ryan asked. A few piped up, and it turned out a total of five were left behind in replacement of five dead Endermen. "Well, it's better than nothing."

"Hey, the Enderman I battled was a stubborn idiot, okay?" Kerry defended himself. "You saw it yourself."

Ryan chuckled. "I saw him kill you twice."

"Oh, shut up."

Lindsay looked around for another ledge. She had to work her way down somehow. Strapping the two sacks back to her hips, the extra weight was something she needed to quickly get used to. Another small ledge was near. The woman hopped onto the lower ledge. She stayed still a few moments, careful not to move too much in fear of it giving away underneath her. Lindsay saw another ledge, larger, a bit of a stretch forward and downwards. 

She bit her lip, then jumped from the ledge she was already on. Lindsay's hands shot out, knowing she was about to fall short, the woman caught the ledge with her hands. 

As soon as she did that, she screamed.

"Lindsay, what the hell is going on?" Michael yelled into his microphone. He was just exiting the jungle, entering the forest. "Where are you? I'll come and-"

"Shut UP, Michael!" She snapped as she began to lay on the ledge in pain. Her tainted hand twitched multiple times without warning. Nobody spoke.

Gavin decided, after a few beats of a silence, to try and lighten the mood. "Lindsay's seem to have digested some vinegar." He giggled. Ryan and Kerry tried to join in on the laughter, hoping to ease the mood. Michael, shocked by her sudden outburst, started heading back to Achievement City (wherever it fucking was) without a word.

Lindsay didn't have time for this. She stood up again, and hopped to another lower platform. It began to crumble, and the woman yelped a bit before jumping and holding onto another ledge with only her good hand. The other hand, which was paler by the second, twitched uncontrollably. Each twitch sent another pain shooting up Lindsay's arm and to her brain or heart. Still, she had to keep going.

Back at Achievement City, the sun was beginning to leave their presence. They had a few more to wait on, which included Lindsay, Ray, Kerry, and Ryan. 

Geoff was growing a bit impatient. "Guys, hurry up, we have to discuss tomorrow's plans."

"We're coming as fast as we can!" Ryan complained.

"That's what she said." Caleb said under his breath. It earned him a goofy giggle from the green-clad archer to his right.

A bit later on, Lindsay was near the bottom of the chasm now. At the bottom was a tunnel that was the exit. The woman stepped forward to take another leap, but misjudged said step. It sent her falling to the stone underneath her. 

She didn't even have the energy to scream on the way down. The poison was draining her energy, and each time her heart beat, Lindsay felt her vision blur.

She panted pathetically, getting up very slowly from the fall. Lindsay's whole front was in pain from the 'tumble' she'd taken. The redhead stumbled forward, and began to almost limp out of the giant cave. Feeling the warm but fleeting sunshine on her face the first time since morning, Lindsay breathed a sigh of relief. At least she was out of that shithole.

"Lindsay, we're waiting on you." Jack announced. Michael was growing a bit more nervous. Gavin glanced over at him, about to crack a joke, but immediately shut himself up when he saw the warrior's face so scared.

"Michael..." The Brit put a hand on the curly haired man's shoulder. Michael looked back at him, his eyes still subconsciously wide with uncertainty. "She's alright. Besides, she can respawn."

Michael nodded, trying to believe Gavin's words. "Y-yeah... you're right." He was always subconsciously thinking of how ruthless the rules for living in the Nether were, and how she had been there... Michael was just worried about her. He suddenly smiled. He brought a hand up to his ear and turned his earpiece on again. "C'mon Lindsay!"

Lindsay, weak from the poison coursing inside of her, perked up when she heard Michael's voice.

"C'mon, Linds!" He cheered her on. "Get here before sundown!"

"Yeah, Lindsay!" Kdin joined in. Soon, everyone was cheering her on. She summoned the bit of energy she had to smile before powering through. She began to walk faster, then run as fast as she could. The pain coursing through her body could've made her crumble to the floor, but determination won over. She arrived at the city to clapping and cheering friends as the sun finally disappeared behind a hill. Lindsay quickly threw down both Inventories. Then, knowing she was pretty much done for, the woman began to sway, then fall, all with a blissful smile on her face. She had done it.

The warrior ran over to stop her. Michael was about to catch Lindsay when suddenly, all he was holding was smoke.

Over his, and everyone's, earpiece, a woman's triumphant "Hell yeah, bitches!" made them all laugh and smile. Kdin quickly collected the Inventories, which were both full of precious ore, and handed them to Geoff. The man waved Kdin off, so he only placed the bags next to the rest that they piled by the bulletin board.

"Lindsay wins today's game!" Goeff announced.

"I thought we weren't playing for the Tower of Pimps...?" Ray said, shooting the mustached man a confused look.

Geoff smirked. "She's earned the Tower of Respect."

"Woo!" Was Lindsay's comment.

"I've never heard of that tower." Gavin said. 

Jack chuckled. "Cause you haven't won it yet, dumbass."

"Oooh! Burn!"

"Shots fired!"

"What, like from a dispenser?"


	16. A Few Misunderstandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Achievement Hunters continue to try and get to the End, a few small thoughts and problems spring up. Will they be permanent? Will they be fleeting? Only time can tell...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was more of a plot/filler. (Sorry for it being a bit slow) It's mainly to introduce a few new possible problems that can re-occur in the future. Hope you enjoy my love for conflict!  
> (Shameless plug initiated: Tumblr: aam5ever)

People were going to bed that Friday night. Ray, Gavin, and Michael decided to hang out a bit at the warrior's house before sleeping. Kerry climbed up the ladder from his room, but paused. He heard the guys talking, and he would've went up and greeted them if it was any normal conversation.

"I feel like... like I can never help her out."

"C'mon, man. Calm down." Ray said. "She's independent."

It wasn't a normal conversation.

Kerry quickly caught on to the fact that they were talking about Lindsay. "She's not a normal girl." Gavin admitted. "...She's also kind of the only girl in our world."

"Yeah," Michael looked at him with a furrowed brow. "The fuck's up with that?"

"Anyway," Ray tried to get back on track. "Lindsay's always been independent, even before you two were..." He thought about it. "What's the word for you two?"

"Um..." Michael reddened. "I don't know, romantically involved?" 

Gavin giggled. Kerry heard his squawk after a quick but loud thump. 

"Shut up, asshole." Michael grumbled at the Brit.

"But Michael..."

Ray sighed. "Idiots." He looked at the two. "You guys realize we're talking about Michael's 'issue', right?"

They both quieted down. Michael's voice went from annoyed to soft and worried. "I don't know... I just feel like she doesn't need me to take care of her. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

"Hm..." Gavin seemed to actually be taking him seriously. "Maybe not."

"What does that mean?" Kerry heard Michael ask. 

"Well," Kerry could basically hear Ray's shrug. "you don't have to take care of her to be 'romantically involved' with her." He used air quotes. "I mean, isn't a relationship an equal effort or some shit?"

"But like, I'm the GUY." Michael emphasized. "I'm SUPPOSED to protect her."

Gavin rolled his eyes. "You're such a doughnut." He smirked at his friend. "She'll let you know when she needs protecting."

Michael groaned. Gavin, no matter how idiotic he usually was, WASNT wrong about this one. "I just feel useless sometimes, you know? Like, I feel like a fucking sack of spiderwebs. I'm just gonna slow her down."

Ray shook his head. "She really likes you, and she still moves pretty fast with you. Lindsay's not a damsel in distress. She's the badass main character."

"And I'm the sidekick?" Michael said unsurely.

"No," Gavin patted Michael on the back. "you're the player two she can't do anything without." He said thoughtfully.

Michael sighed. He didn't know how to feel about it all until the two talked to him. Maybe he should quit being so damn insecure. He usually covers it with abnoxiousness, but otherwise, the guy was a kicked puppy at times.

You know, when he wasn't yelling.

"Just don't worry about it too much, alright?" Ray smiled at Michael. The warrior slowly smiled at his friend.

"Yeah, I won't."

"Good. Team Lads' got your back." Gavin smiled goofily. Michael rolled his eyes.

"Alright, moron." 

"So, about you never kissing-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP."

Kerry chose that moment to climb up the rest of the ladder. "Hey guys."

"Hey, Kerry." The greeted him.

He now knew much more than before.

The next day, Geoff called another meeting about getting to the End. Caleb had taken care of the enderpearls over night, so he held the chest that contained the fragile spheres. The man held the box against himself as Geoff spoke to them all.

"I'm glad we got supplies yesterday..." He began. "with some supplies harder to get than others." He flashed a smile at Lindsay and Kdin. "Today is Find the Stronghold day. This may be one of the most annoying as dicks thing you will have to do in your lives."

"Why?" Kerry asked the question that was on all of their minds. Well, almost all of their minds.

"Because we have to follow a frigging floating sphere for hours." Ryan admitted before Geoff could even open his mouth. "And most times, they break after a few uses. So, we need to use MULTIPLE in order to find, dig down to, and arrive at the stronghold."

It was silent for a bit. Then Ray threw his head back and let out a long, loud groan.

"It won't be too bad, right?" Gavin tried to stay positive. "I mean, it's only a few hours. Geoff and I build stuff that take days straight."

"Gavin, trust me." Ryan shot him a knowing stare. "It's worse."

"Way to bring up the mood, guys." Kdin sarcastically commented. Geoff continued to explain.

"We'll start here. Then, we'll follow the eyes until they all break, if they all break. Then, we'll begin to dig down and mine into it." He smirked. "You guys WANTED to defeat the dragon."

"No, we didn't!" Ray cried out. "I never fuckin' agreed to this!" 

"Wait, did you say eyes?" Jack interjected. "What eyes?"

"Oh yeah..." Geoff almost forgot. "We need blaze powder... to make Ender Eyes."

Gavin folded his arms, getting a bit more annoyed about all these tasks. "Oh, for God's sake..."

"It'll be easy to get." Geoff tried to coax him. "We're all going."

"What?" Kerry frowned. "I vote to stay home."

Ray nodded "Same." 

"Yeah, uh, I third that motion..." Jack agreed. Soon, everyone was chatting aimlessly and passively.

"Shut UP!" Geoff shouted to get their attention. They quieted down. "Goddamn babies. We're going."

"You're not my mom." Caleb wise cracked.

"I'm going to murder you, I swear to CHRIST..."

"Okay guys, let's cut him some slack..." Ryan uncharacteristically defended Geoff. "Let's just get this over with."

"Thank fucking God, someone agrees with me." Geoff distributed communicators and swords like usual. Most of them took them with grumbles about how stupid the Nether was. "Let's go to the city portal, dumbasses."

When they all went to the Nether, they all had one objective: find blazes.

Usually, that was what you didn't want to do in the hellish world. This was an exception.

"Okay, let's split into equal groups of..."

"Two people, five groups?" Jack shrugged.

"Or opposite?" Was Kerry's input.

"Let's do Jack's idea."

It was settled then. Kerry went with Jack, Geoff with Ray, Lindsay with Gavin (much to Michael's displeasement), Ryan with Kdin, and Michael with Caleb. They got into their respective groups before going in all different directions.

"Don't forget to report when you need help." Jack reminded everyone. "And Geoff or Ryan, how much do we need for it to be enough?"

"As much as possible." The cow keeper answered as he and Kdin were looking for the blazes. "We'll need as much enderpearls and blaze powder as we can get."

"Wow, sounds doable." Caleb was already having more than a few doubts about this objective.

Ray and Geoff were walking up a hill when he felt a bit uncomfortable as flashbacks came back to him. Climbing a hill with Gavin... having him get shot by an arrow... seeing him faint and look so helpless...

"Ray?" Geoff snapped his fingers in front of him. "Ray, snap out of it."

"Huh?" He almost tripped when his boss tried to call his attention.

"You alright?" Geoff was turning off his earpiece, in case it was a personal issue.

Ray turned his off his as well. "I just... I can't stop thinking about when Gavin was... and I was here and..."

"Do you want to wait back at Achievement City?" Geoff carefully asked. The suit-wearing man bit his lip before shaking his head.

"I can handle this." Ray smirked. "Fuckin' Nether's got nothin' on me."

Geoff chuckled at the lad's dry humor and pretty lighthearted nature. "Whatever, moron."

They both turned their earpieces back on as they saw a magma cube coming towards them. Meanwhile, Michael and Caleb had got to a blaze spawner. They were walking towards it carefully, trying to calculate how close you needed to be to get the spawner to even react.

"Don't be a pussy." Michael teased Caleb. Caleb, instead of teasing back, pushed the warrior forward. His stumble caused the blaze spawner to finally react, and a blaze appeared in front of them.

"I got this." Caleb assured him. He went forward, to the blaze, and swung down on the blaze's head. The 'gong' noise it always made sent chills up Caleb's arms. Another few blows to the head, and the golden menace vanished, leaving only a blaze rod to be collected. Caleb picked it up and stuffed it into his Inventory.

Michael was standing to the side, getting ready for more blazes to appear. Three did, in fact.

The warrior and nurse immediately went to work, their swords clanging against the blazes. Caleb, more focused on getting the job done than how it was done, wasn't the best sword fighter or dodger in fact. A fireball narrowly missed his head.

Michael, on the other hand, was always an amazing sword fighter. He killed the first blaze immediately, and moved onto the second one. When all the blazes were gone, their award of two blaze rods out of all three blazes was taken by Caleb.

Lindsay and Gavin were just collecting their second blaze did when a Ghast saw them on the Nether bridge. It shot at them, and both dived out of the way. Gavin suddenly went into panic mode, frantically looking for where Lindsay landed.

She was on the other side of where the Ghast shot. Gavin was about to run to her when the Ghast shot at them again, causing Lindsay to hightail it out of there. 

Now, Gavin was the only one on the bridge. He pulled his bow and an arrow out, aiming and shooting at the gigantic creature. He missed, his fingers shaky. In all honesty, he was scared. Gavin couldn't help the flashbacks of his terrible time with the same creature last time he visited the hellish realm. 

Another fiery ball shot out, and Gavin yelped as he ran away from it. He tried to shoot at the Ghast again, but again, his hands were no help. The Brit gave up, and instead ran inside of the Nether fortress like Lindsay did before.

Lindsay felt bad for leaving Gavin. She was now trying to find him, but the place resembled a maze. It baffled her how many twists and turns there were.

She got to a room with a four way intersection, and a Wither skeleton fired an arrow at her. The arrow clipped her ear, and she hissed in pain of the shot. The woman charged and made the skeleton disappear into smoke, leaving only a bone and an arrow in its wake.

The red head pocketed the items, and pulled her hood over her head despite the heat. She began to look for Gavin yet again.

Gavin, meanwhile, wasn't doing well. The man couldn't help all the twisting feelings in his stomach, the negative beliefs in his heart, and the memories in his mind. The British man had to lean against the brick wall and try his best to focus and stabilize himself as very few torches around him illuminated his face.

He turned his earpiece off before whispering to himself. "C'mon, Gav... snap out of it... stop being such a damn pleb..." His 'words of encouragement' weren't helping. He took more deep breaths before something came around the corner.

Lindsay stared at the panting man. "Gavin...?" She reached out to try and touch him.

He flinched. "H-Huh?" He looked up at the bird hood, then at Lindsay's bright eyes. 

"Gavin... are you okay?" She still had here earpiece on. Ray and Geoff heard her voice.

"What's wrong with Gav?" Worry was embedded in Ray's voice as he and Geoff were making their way to a fortress.

"Is he alright?" Ryan asked. He and Kdin were walking around a lake of lava, and the heat radiated off of the lake. Kdin broke out into another sweat. "What's wrong?"

Gavin's earpiece being off, he spoke to Lindsay only. "I-I'm fine... I think..." He took a step forward, towards her. Lindsay saw how he was shaken up.

"Are you sure?" 

Gavin sighed at the question, and shook his head a little. "I just had a... memory, is all."

"A memory?" She was confused.

Geoff and Ray shot glances at each other before Geoff spoke up. "Tell him to turn on is earpiece again."

Lindsay nodded. "Turn on your earpiece, Gav." She instructed.

"Bollocks." Gavin said to himself before doing so. He didn't want anyone to worry about him. It was just a stupid memory, why make such a damn big deal about it? "What?"

"What's wrong, my boy?" Michael asked carefully. He and Caleb were waiting a bit to regain a bit of energy before battling more of the blazes. He had a cookie just in case he got hungry, and bit into it. "What's got your knickers in a twist now?"

"Nothing, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." Was all Gavin said before turning his earpiece off again. Geoff was growing annoyed.

"Gavin, for fuck's sake, just tell-"

"His earpiece is off again." Lindsay ratted the Brit out. He shot her a hurt look. Why were they all fussing over him? 

"Damn it!" Geoff cursed. Ray gave him a look of understanding.

"Geoff," He tried to reason with his boss. "just let him calm down. I wouldn't want people to worry about me either." Ray shrugged with a smirk. "He's not so dumb. He'll talk about it later."

"Ray's right." Kerry smiled. "You just gotta wait. I know how much you hate it, but that's what needs to happen." He then helped Jack defeat a magma cube.

Geoff stayed silent. He just kept his eyes down as he and Ray were walking to the fortress. The Rose man couldn't help but believe he may have overstepped his boundaries.

One hour, more blaze rods, and a couple of scratches later, they all agreed that it was time to go back to the Overworld. Gavin had turned his earpiece on again eventually, but didn't talk about any flashbacks he had. The others didn't try to bring it up once, which the man appreciated.

They were all back at Achievement City shortly after, placing their bags of the rods by Ryan's house. The man smoothed down his kilt as the last of the blaze rods were placed in the pile.

"Give me an hour, I'll have these turned into blaze powder as fast as possible."

Caleb gave the chest of pearls to him as well. "Can you do these too? Turn them into eyes, I mean."

"Well, yeah. Hour and a half then."

Everyone agreed to go relax while Ryan was working. Geoff went up to Gavin immediately. He began trying to talk to the Brit, who began to look more and more uncomfortable and angry. Ray was leaning against his house and looking up at the symmetrical clouds when he heard Gavin yell at Geoff.

"Leave me alone!"

The Brit pushed his older friend away, who ended up falling on the logo underneath both of them. Ray's head snapped in their direction, staring at the scene. Gavin stood there, glaring at the mustached man, before his expression softened, and turned into an extremely apologetic, very sad look.

"I-I'm sorry... I j-I just..." Gavin bit his lip to stop his stuttering before running over to his house and slamming the door behind him. Kerry, hearing the whole confrontation from Michael's house, came out as soon as Gavin's door sounded.

"The fuck...?" He said to himself. Geoff got up, and Ray could see he was angry. That same man was about to go over to Gavin's house before the Puerto Rican rushed over to stop him.

"Geoff, give him time to calm-"

"'He'll want to talk about it later' my ass." Geoff mocked. "He should stop acting like a baby."

"Well then stop forcing him to tell you stuff like you're his father!" Ray snapped. Geoff glared at him. "Look, I know how close you guys are, but you can't have him telling you EVERYTHING when you want to know it. Remember, you've kept things from us too. We wait for you to be comfortable with telling us."

"It's not the same-"

"How is it not the same?" Ray stared daggers at the older man. "How do you know it's not the same?"

Geoff backed away from Ray, then turned and left, going into the forest to let off some steam.

Ray sighed. "Good job, Ray. Just had to be the fuckin' hero, didn't you?"

Kerry walked to him. "I know tensions are high for some reason..." He began as he arrived by Ray. "But people will calm down eventually. They always do." He put a hand on Ray's shoulder. 

The Hispanic smiled. "Yeah." He glanced at Kerry. "I suppose you know about Michael's lady worries, and you already saw Gavin's problem..."

"I was listening in when Michael was talking to you guys about Lindsay."

"I'm not an idiot, Kerry. I could hear you on the ladder."

"Really?" Kerry's eyes widened as a chicken clucked in the distance. "I thought I was sneaky, like a silverfish."

"You're the most obvious silverfish I've ever heard in my life."

"Asshole."

Gavin was in his house, pacing. He didn't want to talk to Geoff, or Lindsay, or anyone. He just wanted to be alone. 

The Brit couldn't help but remember a dream he had after the incident, while he still had the bandages. The crippling fear of dying... the pain of going on... 

His hand absently traced the scar where the gash was. Suddenly, the British archer felt another presence in the room. Stopping mid-pace, he looked up...

Ghost Ray was staring at him, his white eyes cold and, to Gavin, menacing.

But at the moment, Gavin's now dealt worse fears than dealing with a ghost.

"Hey, Ghost Ray." He said just for kicks. The ghost didn't respond in any way. The Brit sighed. "Why do you only bother me?" Gavin asked the unexplainable spirit. "Why am I the only one that can see you?"

As usual, the ghost of his friend didn't do a thing. Gavin, enraged by multiple things, picked up the pillow from his bed and chucked it at the apparation. It went through Ghost Ray, and slid down the wall.

Will these memories and flashbacks and Ghost Rays never leave Gavin?

Ryan was beginning to work on the eyes when his door opened. Gavin came through, and closed the door behind him. The bigger man went back to his work after looking over. 

"I heard you and Geoff aren't on the best of terms."

Gavin paused at the bluntness at the man before sighing. "You're not wrong."

"Well, fix it."

"Ryan, of all people, don't you know how hard it is to 'fix it'?" Gavin's brow furrowed when Ryan cracked a smirk.

"Of course." He glanced up at the Brit. "It's hard, but it's not complex. You just need to realize how you were in the wrong, then apologize." He was fusing the blaze powder into an enderpearl. "And try not to prove that you're right by taking a friend's girlfriend into the Nether and finding an alternate dimension. That only works a few times."

Gavin chuckled at Ryan's dry humor. "But, what if-"

"Just figure out what you did wrong, what he did wrong, and work it out together." 

The Brit smiled. "I guess you're right." He decided to wise crack now. "I'm also pretty sure I can't kiss and make up with him because that's what YOU do, correct?"

Ryan's cheeks burned. "He kissed ME."

"Carrot, shmarrot." Gavin giggled at the cow keeper's embarrassement. "Was there tongue?"

"You can leave now."


	17. Strong Hold-Onto-Sanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the first attempt at finding the Stronghold, a few things happen that cause them to give up and try again. Now it's Attempt two. Will they find the Stronghold, or will Ryan go insane again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like writing scenes with Ryan in this one. :)  
> So yeah, this one is a plot/filler again. I promise I'm working on more captivating chapters!   
> Please don't be afraid to comment, I like feedback!  
> (Tumblr: aam5ever)  
> (Also don't be a Shy Guy, come on over to my Tumblr with questions or suggestions!)

It's been six hours after they began searching for the stronghold. In six hours, Gavin and Geoff managed to make up pretty easily. They can never stay mad at each other. The talk was calm and understanding, and they both understood each other. This is a (very brief) summary about how it went:

Gavin: You don't have to protect me all the time. I just needed to calm down.

Geoff: You don't have to hide stuff from me. I could've helped you calm down.

Both: Sorry I'm such a moron.

Geoff: At least you didn't kiss me like Ryan did.

Ryan: Fuck you guys.

In six hours, everyone was back on good terms. In six hours, they found three spiders, ten creepers, four skeletons, and seven zombies.

Six hours, and no stronghold.

"I'M GONNA GO MENTAL." Michael mocked what Gavin had said in an abnoxiously Britsh accent. Almost everyone was becoming uncharacteristically angry and irritatable.

"Where are we even going?" Jack asked pretty much nobody.

The fifth, last Ender Eye broke.

"GOD DAMN IT." Kerry exclaimed.

Ray began to shout. "WHERE'S THE FUCKIN' STRONGHOLD?!"

With everyone talking over each other in anger and confusion, Ryan's eye twitched as he held the compass rather tightly in his right hand.

"Just be patient-" He tried to calm everyone down.

Kdin scoffed. "Patient my ass." 

"We're literally going in circles!" Lindsay shouted as she slid down to the floor to sit in the grass. It was night, and very cloudy. Drizzle was beginning to fall. "Now it's frigging raining!"

"Ryan, what does that compass say?"

"I'm hungry."

"Can we just go home and try again tomorrow?"

"We HAVE to find more enderpearls?"

"What does the DAMN compass say, Ryan?"

Ryan smashed the compass against a nearby tree.

"NOTHING ANYMORE."

Everyone went silent, even the people over the earpiece. The people by Ryan, which were Lindsay, Jack, Michael, and Caleb, stared at the kilt-sporting man in shock. He was furious, seething, and completely insane with anger.

"If you guys just shut the fuck UP for once, listened, and stopped being so WHINEY, I'd be able to tell directions, tell you what to do, tell you ANYTHING YOUR HEARTS DESIRED." His voice was escalating. "I swear I'm going to murder all of you in COLD BLOOD SOON." His face was pure ice. "Just please, for the love of God, SHUT UP."

Everyone stayed silent, and Ryan cleared his throat, looking up at the people near him with a 'sorry about that' look. His eyes now softened, the man smiled awkwardly with embarrassment. 

"Maybe... maybe we should try again tomorrow."

Back in Achievement City, Jack stretched and sighed at the sight of people turning in for the night. He waved at Kdin as he was going into the forest, to his camp.

"What's up, Jack?" Caleb went and stood next to him, arms crossed.

"Nothing exactly." He sighed. "Just admiring the view."

"What view?" Caleb was curious. "It's the same place you see every day."

"It's a place I'll never get tired of." The ginger's smile tugged at his lips as the rain clouds were disappearing. Everything was damp still, but the earthy smell was a nice one to the builder. One he'd always enjoy.

"I guess you're right." Caleb smirked. "The idiots here do make this place interesting."

"Tell me about it."

They were silent for a few moments. Lights flickered off from houses, the noise dying down a bit. Caleb and Jack still stood there, admiring the city as it powered down.

"Do you think we'll defeat the Enderdragon?" 

Jack looked at the younger man, who had the question hanging in the open, fresh air. The bearded man shrugged, looking back at the landscape in front of him.

"I'm sure we've tried worse."

The next morning they woke up energized and ready...

...to complain even more about how stupid the plan was.

Ryan woke up, his mind only granting him a few seconds of bliss before forcing him to remember the shenanigans of last night. That only caused him to flop back into his bed with a groan of the inevitable: everyone shouting over each other.

In Gavin's house, he woke up because a memory jarred him out of his sleep. He clutched his own sleeping shirt and panted to calm down. Seriously, why weren't these memories going away?

He slowly got up. Before anything else, before even washing himself, Gavin removed his bow and sheath of arrows from his chest.

Maybe shooting will help him calm down.

Jack woke up to the bright morning and heard footsteps outside. He looked out his window groggily and saw the creeper scarf around Gavin before fully recognizing the man. The bow and arrows with said man gave Jack the idea of where he was heading. 

Gavin arrived at the training area, yawning. He wiped sleep out of his eyes before getting in front of the target. The man immediately became focused, the middle of his target being the heart of an enemy.

He littered the target with arrows instantly.

Ray was feeding Perceval some fish when a knock sounded from his door. 

"Come in." He invited whoever was outside. Ryan stepped in.

"Hello, patterned man." Pat the Head immediately greeted with his thick accent. "I see you've ironed your skirt."

Ryan groaned. He'd forgotten about the annoying head. "Shut it, before I punt you like a ball."

That shut him up.

"Ray..." Ryan began. "I'm at a loss here."

"For?" Ray was curious. What would put RYAN at a loss?

"Well, should we have half of us look for the stronghold while the others look for enderpearls?" Was the first question. "Or, we all go look for enderpearls, then we all look for the stronghold together?"

The Puerto Rican blinked before saying his opinion. "I think we should first all look for enderpearls..." He thought a bit more. "And then... and THEN half of us look for more enderpearls while the others follow the eyes."

"Good idea." Ryan smiled. Ray was a bit surprised he was even asking him for an opinion. Ray usually went along with the decisions, not make them. "I'll tell the others later." He opened the door again. "Bye, Ray. Bye, freak of nature."

And then he left.

Pat the Head saw the confusion on the man's face. "Since when did you call the shots?"

Ray shook his head. "Never." He decided to put his top hat on, along with his cape. The breeze outside was picking up, anyway. "I guess they're accepting new ideas because of last night."

"What happened last night?" The disembodied head was curious.

"Ryan went fuckin' insane."

"Insane?" The head smirked mischeviously. "What caused the man to become that way? What, did he lose his precious cow?"

Ray shook his head with a smirk. "We kind of made him snap." He straightened the flower on his suit. "I guess it kind of drove him up the wall and over the edge."

"That's... interesting..." The British head now knew a bit more about the man. "So is he usually calm?"

"Jeez, Pat, why so interested?" Ray shot him a weird look. "I guess so. He doesn't really lose his cool much. Not even around you."

"I'd love to see the moron so foolish."

"Foolish? More like terrifying." Ray rolled his eyes. "You should've seen the looks on our faces." He sighed. "It happens very rarely."

"I still think of him as an idiot."

Ray shook his head at Pat. "That guy understands more than I can. I don't get why you hate Ryan so much."

Pat scoffed. "He hasn't given me a reason to like him."

Later, they all agreed that Ray's plan was the best plan. They had enough blaze powder to color the world that goldish color, so there was no need to get more of it. What they needed the most was an Enderman or two.

Or ten.

"Where do you think Endermen go when they're not bothering us?" Gavin asked into his earpiece. He had climbed a tree, a thing that came naturally to him, and scouted the area for any of the tall creatures. He held onto the trunk of said tree to avoid falling, which also came naturally to him at times. "Do they, like, get bevs with other Endermen?"

"I don't know, maybe they go my ass?" Was Geoff's answer to the foolish question. 

Michael sighed. "Shut up, Gavin."

"Geoff, please." Lindsay giggled.

Kerry smirked. "What an odd place for Endermen to go."

"Though not uncommon." Jack added. Everyone laughed at his sudden comment.

After a few minutes of them all beginning this hunt, Kdin made what resembled a noise of pleasant surprise.

"I guess Kdin found something?" Caleb shrugged as he was walking in the colder forest. His shoes caused the snow to crunch under his feet. He ended up at a frozen over river a bit after he said his statement.

"I got an enderpearl!" Kdin cheered. "First one!"

"Congrats." Jack smirked as he stopped in a clearing and looked around. "Put that on your wall of Achievements."

"Speaking of Achievements, are we still called the Achievement Hunters?" Caleb asked. "Or did Geoff change that name while we were gone?"

"I'd never change that name!" Geoff exclaimed protectively.

"Just checking."

In a bit over a two hour period, they'd managed to get seven enderpearls out of thirteen Endermen. That's when Ryan activated phase two of the 'Please Find a Stronghold Soon' plan.

"I'll go and make the pearls into Ender Eyes while you guys look for more." He proposed. "Does anyone want to help me?"

"I'll help." Michael offered. "I think I can understand how to jam some powder into a pearl or whatever."

"Michael... that's not..." Ryan sighed. "Alright."

When everyone managed to give their findings to Ryan, the cow keeper and warrior headed back to Achievement City to get the eyes made while everyone else continued to look for pearls.

"Do you think we'll even fight this damn dragon this YEAR?" Kerry smirked. "Or will this be a task we never finish?"

"We're getting to this damn dragon." Geoff assured him. "And it'll be dead as dicks soon."

As the others continued to search for the pearls, Michael held one that was just found by himself earlier. The beautiful blue color made him smirk. 

"How do you think Endermen make enderpearls?" He asked his older friend. "Do you think it's some big process?"

Ryan only shrugged as he began to set up the equipment to make the eyes. "Ask an Enderman."

"Funny." Michael said flatly. They had their earpieces off, since it made no sense for them to be on at the time. Ryan gave him a piece of equipment that Michael didn't even try to comprehend at the moment.

Ryan saw his brow was furrowed in confusion. "It's a fuser." He began to show Michael how to use it in the simplest way possible.

Eventually, they both got into the swing of fusing. Place the enderpearl in a holder, put the blaze powder in a certain beaker, this happens, something sparks, that happens, and an Eye of Ender is made! 

At least, that's how Michael saw it. 

The process for one Ender Eye was a bit lengthy, so getting them all done was going to take some time, even with both of them working.

Ryan glanced over at the younger lad, and saw he had a few thoughts on his mind. He smirked.

"What's wrong?"

Michael snapped his head up, not even realizing he had obviously spaced out. Rubbing one eye and yawning nonchalantly, he shook his head. "Just tired. I woke up fucking early today."

"You woke up at noon."

"That's still pretty damn early."

"In what instance is that ever-"

"Ryan." Michael's sudden interruption and the stare that accompanied it caused the man to cease his coming up speech. Underneath them, Edgar mooed. 

The keeper of the animal calmly got up and went to his chest, getting out some wheat. Michael just stared at Ryan as he went down to Edgar via ladder, and began to feed his 'pet' (even though he considered Edgar to be more of a room mate).

He began to speak again as he pet Edgar behind the ears. "Again, I ask, what's wrong?"

Michael stayed silent for a few moments, then checked to see if his earpiece was off. Then, he asked one of the most embarrassing questions he could:

"How do you kiss?"

Ryan stopped, eyes wide and staring at the blushing warrior. Eventually, he grinned. 

"So you've never kissed before?"

Michael slowly shook his head. "I haven't."

Ryan chuckled, which earned him one of the most death-filled glares the bear hooded man could give.

Ryan's given worse.

"Oh, Michael." Ryan finished feeding Edgar and climbed back up to the warrior. He went over to him, dusting off some grass from his hands. "I thought I explained it to you before."

"You have, I just wasn't paying attention with you all UP IN MY FACE." Michael pointed out. "I know how much you love smooches, but I'll pass with you. Geoff might deck me for entering his territory."

"Michael, I swear to God-"

"SO, I want to learn how to kiss without actually kissing so when I kiss LINDSAY I won't suck at it!" Michael admitted with a beet-red face. 

Ryan brushed off his annoyance at the Geoff remark and focused his interest on the last statement. "Lindsay, huh?"

"Who the fuck else could it be?" Michael rolled his eyes. 

"No need to get hostile." Ryan looked at Michael slyly. "What do I get in return for this lesson?"

The warrior stared at him blankly, then sheepishly smiled. "Um, a 'thank you'?"

"I DO need some more manual labor sometimes..."

"God damn it-"

"It's hard to keep up with getting Edgar his meals AND maintaining potion ingredients when I have to make things all the time for you guys..."

"Fine!" Michael threw his hands up in defeat. "I'll do your bidding for however long."

"So a few months should do the trick." Ryan smirked at the look on Michael's face.

"A FEW MONTHS?!"

"It's all or nothing." Ryan shrugged. "Besides, if you want to kiss Lindsay all your life, you can spare a few months of labor."

The warrior's face went red again at the mention of his... romantically involved friend. "Whatever."

And thus, the lesson began while they worked on the Ender Eyes.

When said eyes were done, along with the lesson, and Michael knew much more now than he did before.

"People used tongues to kiss sometimes?" Was one of his questions.

"What's a hickie?" Was another.

Let's just say he didn't need to know some things Ryan had explained. Like ever in his life. He gagged during some explanations, actually.

Ryan didn't hold back in his lesson. He went from the basics to some detail to How To to even different types. At the end of it all, Michael had one last question.

"Where the hell did you learn all this from?"

"Books in this world have a lot more information than needed."

Everyone came back to Achievement City for the eyes, and to give the few pearls that they got to Ryan. Lindsay, Ray, Michael, and Kerry were going to search for the Stronghold while Ryan made more eyes and the rest searched for more pearls.

Between only the four of them, they found the Stronghold very quickly.

"Holy shit..." Lindsay muttered. 

"I think... um..." Kerry wasn't sure if he should jump to conclusions. "I think we found it."

"Really?" Geoff was getting excited. "Dig down!"

"Ray, your plan might've worked." Ryan smirked as he got up from his work station. He hadn't even been on his second pearl. The sun was setting, almost fully gone, when they had found where the eye had correctly led them. All getting out their pickaxes, they began to mine downwards to where the Ender Eye had rested above.

Within thirty minutes, their eyes met with an End Portal.


	18. Eye Spy an Enderdragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They've found the portal. They've got the eyes. Now all they have to do is jump in...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, look, I haven't neglected this!  
> I know it's been a while since an update, but I promise, the next one'll be much faster coming, much more action packed, and pretty damn long.  
> Don't forget to comment! I love feedback!  
> (Tumblr: aam5ever)

They finally found the portal.

Well, at least those four did.

"Holy shit, we found it!" Michael immediately cheered. 

"Woo!" Lindsay and Ray high fived.

"Does it... is it on?" Kerry went and poked the portal. Nothing happened. 

The lava underneath the portal bubbled, and Kerry cautiously backed away from it. The other three went closer.

"So, what are these holes in the portal?" Lindsay was on the stairs going up to the portal, staring at the ring over the lava. "Is that where the eyes go?"

"Yes, actually." Ryan got his pickaxe from the wall and opened the door to his house. "You guys DID mark how to get to the Stronghold, right?"

"Yeah, there's a path of torches." Ray made sure to notify him. "It's pretty hard to-"

"Found'em."

When everyone found their way down to the Stronghold, Gavin was the first to ask a question.

"Do we have enough eyes?"

Ryan removed some eyes from his pouch. He started placing them in the eye holders. As he did, the portal hummed with the slight activity. "I think we have enough..." He was nearing the last hole in the portal. He dug in his Inventory, the others standing nearby and waiting. Finally, Ryan removed the last eye from his bag, and placed it in the hole.

The all stared at the portal. For a few seconds, nothing happened.

"Is it working?" Caleb inched closer.

Then, it came to life.

Ryan backed away as the portal began to work. It's weird glow from above was beautiful, along with the portal's surface. The portal's interior was full of empty space and what looked like stars, and it resembled shimmering water. Underneath it, the lava bubbled a bit more excitedly.

This was when Geoff turned to the others: "Lindsay, Caleb, Kdin, and Kerry... we'll need you guys to stay back just in case we need help." 

Three of the four nodded, but Lindsay's eyes widened in disbelief. "But Geoff-"

"Lindsay, it's for the best." Jack agreed with his boss. "Besides, you have your communicators. We'll all keep in touch."

"I can help you guys!"

"You'll help them by staying." Caleb tried to coax her into calming down. "We're staying too, you know." 

"I can't just stay here and wait and HOPE they come back!" She tried to defend herself. "Let me come with you!"

"Lindsay, that's enough." Geoff tried to be stern with her. "We need you here."

"I'm no help here!"

Michael was staring at the whole argument, when it finally dawned on him. The same feeling of being useless... the same feeling of being no help that he had towards Lindsay... she was feeling the same thing.

"You guys go on ahead." He spoke up. "I'll handle this."

"Handle what?" Lindsay glared at him. "You don't have to handle anything!" She was angry. She was raging even more than Michael could at the moment. "This isn't fair!"

"Michael, meet us there." Gavin cautiously said. He nodded to his British friend, who secured his bows and arrows to his back. Gavin bit his lip before finally asking for Kdin's sword.

"You're gonna use a sword?" Kdin cocked his eyebrow. "Don't you, like, suck at sword fighting?"

"I've had some practice." Gavin smiled. Michael couldn't help but smirk before turning back to Lindsay, who looked like she was about to eat someone's head off. Behind him, he heard the odd noise of people entering the Portal, and saw Kerry, Kdin, and Caleb going back up to the surface to get food. Soon, it was only him and Lindsay in the Stronghold.

"Lindsay, you need to stay here." Michael tried to be reasonable about it.

"Why? Is it because I'm a girl? Because I'm a forest dweller?" She was yelling at him. "Why can't I-"

"God damn it, Lindsay, I don't want anything to happen to you!" Michael argued back.

"I don't want anything to happen to you either!"

A beat of silence passed, to two glaring at each other, the tension in the air palpable, until Michael pulled her closer and kissed her.

He's never experienced a more genuine, gentle, soft thing in his life besides that kiss. It was as great as he had imagined. And, to be honest, Lindsay couldn't agree more.

When they pulled away from each other, Lindsay pulled him into a hug, softly sobbing into his shoulder. "Just don't get killed."

Michael chuckled, holding back a few tears himself. "I-I won't." He promised. They looked at each other, and Michael kissed her on the forehead, then the lips, before seperating from her and climbing the stone stairs, to the End Portal. Staring into the surface, he saw the watery surface's shimmering stars twinkle.

Then, he fell into the Portal.

When he came to the End, the first thing Michael noticed was the dim purple sky. After, the cold finally hit him. Shivering, the warrior pulled the bear hood over his face before looking around the landscape.

There was also no immediate ground to step on. All around were yellow rocks and stones that went nowhere but up, and underneath, nothing. All that Michael could see under was the vast, deep purple darkness that he would never want to fall into.

Above him, he heard Gavin's familiar squawk.

"We're almost there, boys!" Geoff called down. They had climbed up most of the sickly colored stones and rocks of the floating form, slowly but surely reaching the top. When Ray finally reached the top first, his eyes traveled upward... and upward... and upward...

Pillars. There were pillars all around one elevated platform in the middle of them all. Then, when the last of the five came up to the top, they all at once shifted their looks down to the inhabitants of the area.

Endermen. Endermen here, Endermen there, Endermen everywhere. They walked around, tall and lazily looking at each other. The amount of purple pairs of eyes were overwhelming, and all of these eyes were not paying any attention to the visitors of their home.

"...so this is where they go..." Gavin whispered to himself. Geoff elbowed him in the side, which caused him to yelp.

"So, where's the dragon?" Jack asked them all. "I don't see it..."

They took a few steps forward, mainly surveying the area. Michael was actually close to the top of the floating mass by this time. All of them stopped when a startling, frightening roar was carried throughout the entire End.

"Oh... God..." Ray stared up at the farthest pillar from them, the fear pretty evident in his voice. As Michael began working his way up to the others faster, they all slowly turned their heads to look at what had Ray basically glued to the spot.

The Enderdragon was perched on the pillar, it's powerful wings beginning to spread. It was glaring right at them, sharp teeth showing, sensing the dangerous yet small humans compared to its size.

It had been waiting.

Just as Michael stood at the top of the landmass, he witnessed the dragon, and his friends pulling out their weapons. Jack readied his axe as Gavin immediately pulled out his bow. Geoff held his sword with purpose as Ryan drew his own. Ray did followed their example. Michael jogged up to them, pulling out his own diamond sword. They looked at him, not surprised, and nodded.

They had been preparing.


	19. The Fight to the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get to fight what they have been working towards for a pretty long time.  
> And, to be honest, it was a pretty short fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, I'm not dead!  
> It's a bit short, but I hope it's as action-packed as all of you hoped! (Probably not)   
> I've been working on my other fic, That Bites, a bit more, so that's why this is a bit late.  
> Comments Welcome!  
> Tumblr: aam5ever

The Enderdragon was the first to make a move.

It pumped it's wings, becoming airborne, and flew straight at them with a terrifying roar. They began to scatter as it swooped down, it's claws grabbing for them. 

Gavin turned back and loosed arrows at the gigantic beast, hoping to make a dent at the dragon's health. They did some damage, and the Enderdragon screeched in discomfort and annoyance. It spit out what could only be described as a fountain of purple poison. It got Ryan in the arm as he ran away from it, burning through some of his skin. He screamed in agony as his flesh was burned by the liquid, hoping it could be healed.

"Go for it's belly!" Jack yelled. The Endermen became hostile when the Enderdragon was attacked, coming at the Achievement Hunters. Jack slashed through one, and is went with a puff of smoke. "Watch out for the Endermen!" Another was slain by the bearded man.

Ray and Geoff followed Jack's orders, running to the elevated platform. They climbed it, and the Enderdragon was hovering right above them. They cut and slashed at the underneath of the dragon, and the dragon's sound of pain encouraged them to keep going. It suddenly flew off, and around the pillars. That was when Michael spotted something peculiar.

"He's getting strength back!" The warrior shouted. Ryan, unsure of what he meant, looked up into the sky.

He wasn't wrong.

Beams of purple essence came from the pillars above them, and reached the flying monstrosity. The creature's cuts from Geoff and Ray healed, and the Enderdragon roared once more. 

"How're we going to kill it if-" Ryan jabbed his sword into an Endermen, and it disappeared. He hissed from the pain that shot immediately to his burn. "If it's going to keep recharging it's health?" 

Ray heard Ryan, and only saw one solution.

"We have to destroy the pillars!"

"What?" Geoff glanced at the younger man as he jumped off the elevated platform. "That'll take forever!"

"That's all we can do!" And with that, he ran to the pillar to his left. He began climbing.

Back in the overworld, Lindsay hadn't turned on her earpiece. She was starting to go back down and check on the portal when Caleb took her by the shoulder. 

"Linds..." His voice was calming. "They're fine, you know."

"You never know." She worried. "Maybe I should turn on my earpiece-"

"Kdin's is already on." He stopped her hand from reaching up to her ear. "It doesn't make sense for all of us to have ours on." He smiled softly at her. Somewhere inside himself, he was worried too. But out of the two of them, one had to be more level headed. Caleb took the role without question. 

She sighed. "But I-" Lindsay stopped herself. "You're right." He led her back to Achuevement City. 

In the End, Gavin had managed to get on top of one of the pillars. His senses were on overdrive, and he tried to put his usual fear of the Nether incident to good use. He used his borrowed sword and plunged it into the source of the purple essence, like the others had done. It was apparently not that hard to climb the dark pillars, if you found the right path up. The purple essence diminished, meaning that the health regenerator wasn't working anymore. Then, from his elevated position, the Brit began to loose arrows at the dragon again. It's roar proved that he was doing SOMETHING to it.

The battle was drawing on more and more... they tried to maintain their stamina, but the Achievement Hunters just knew that this battle may be a hard one to finish. 

Jack, on the other side, had managed to destroy the last of the regenerators, making the dragon much more vulnerable than before. Before Jack could climb back down, the dragon's tail hit him from the side, swiping him clean off the pillar. Gavin called his name in alarm, and then the bearded man hit the ground hard.

Michael turned around and saw him on the ground, not moving. He impaled one of the Endermen coming at him and kicked away another, running to his friend.

"Jack!" He shouted. "God damn it, Jack, wake up!" He was breathing, but unresponsive. Michael, not knowing what to do, dragged him behind one of the nearest pillars to hide him from the Enderdragon. "Jack's down." 

They all heard it through their earpieces.

"What?" Geoff yelled. "Where is he?"

"Behind a pillar. He's passed out." Michael began running back to the action. "He might need the AH Hospital."

"Fucking- alright, keep going, guys!" Geoff ordered. They continued to shoot and stab at the giant dragon and Endermen around them.

Eventually, they witnessed the dragon weakening. It only encouraged them to keep fighting, harder and harder, faster and faster. The Enderdragon swooped down and knocked Ray and Ryan off their feet, but the R and R Connection wasn't breaking just yet. The men were growing tired, but as more arrows got stuck in the monster's skin, and more jabs were given to the monster's belly, their sheer will grew stronger. 

A few Endermen had ganged up on Geoff, and he was knocked down by one. Michael came to his rescue, slashing through them and helping his boss up.

"Thanks." Geoff said breathlessly. Michael only nodded before hurrying back to the rest. 

Then, an arrow sliced through the air and stuck the dragon right between the eyes.

Gavin let out a triumphant holler that all the men heard from underneath him, and then they all began to screech and cheer as the dragon's loud roars were accompanied by it's body raising up and slowly exploding into shiny and purple sparks and light. 

"Holy shit, we did it!" Michael's fist pumped the air happily. They all began to go over to the elevated platform while Gavin was trying to contemplate how to come down from the pillar.

On the elevated platform was a weird object that dropped from the dragon. Ryan had seen it before, in his books, but was too tired and in pain from his burn to think.

Ray, one of the least battered hunters, picked it up. It was heavy in his hands. "What is it?"

"We'll figure that out later." Geoff said. He patted Ray's back. "Let's just fucking go home."


	20. The Come Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys finally make it home for some completely deserved rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter hype.  
> I'm starting to work on it more, I promise! That Bites, my other fic, was getting more attention for a while. I love you guys!  
> Comments Welcome!  
> Tumblr: aam5ever  
> I'm also welcome to fan art or questions on my tumblr <3

When they came back to their Overworld, only Kerry was in the Stronghold. They all came back at the same time, and Kerry jumped up from where he was seated and playing with a completely random cave chicken.

"You're back!" He said in surprise.

"Yeah," Geoff said. He was helping Michael carry the still unconsious Jack. "We need the AH Hospital, though."

Kerry's eyes widened, and he nodded. "Of course."

They got Jack to the hospital, which wasn't very far from Achievement City, and got Jack into a hospital bed. The sky was cloudy, and it began to drizzle as the entire world population of ten was in the hospital. They all looked worriedly at the unconsious Jack.

"Will he be okay?" Lindsay spoke up. She looked over at Michael, then Geoff. 

Geoff sighed. "I can't say exactly. Hopefully."

"Ryan and I will do everything we can." Caleb said. He nodded at Ryan, who nodded back. He had treated his burn as much as he could, a bandage on the wound. The cow keeper was still a bit in pain, but otherwise, fit to work.

"You guys should go get some rest." Was what Ryan told the others. "This'll take some time."

Ray shook his head. "I think we-"

"You guys are a mess." Kdin playfully commented. "You're all sweaty and tired. Go home and rest up. Come back when you feel better, since we're not going anywhere."

The four men that were instructed to leave did so with complaint, grumbling and such. Ryan looked down at Jack, then over to Caleb.

Caleb was the first to give instructions. "Lindsay, hand me a potion of strength." He pointed to a chest, where a few potions were held. "We'll need to get it into his system, along with a regeneration potion."

"The stronger or weaker version?" Kerry asked. 

"Weaker." Ryan answered before Caleb opened his mouth. The nurse looked at Ryan skeptically. "His body may not be ready for a strong potion. We have to ease into it." Was the older man's explanation.

Ryan began to assess the more physical damage inflicted on his friend. Scratches, bruises... a broken arm... a pretty bad gash on Jack's head that was going to need spider string stitches... 

"Here." Lindsay put the potion he requested on the stand next to him. He nodded to show thanks.

Caleb was looking for a regeneration potion for Ryan, but couldn't find one. Kerry had no luck either. "Hey, Ryan?" The man looked up. "I have to go get a potion from your house." Said Kerry. They really had to restock. "I'll be right back."

Meanwhile, in the city, Michael was just finished with washing up. The rain outside was calming. He felt his muscles relax as he lay his head to rest. The tired warrior's lips twitched into a sleepy smile as consiousness was about to leave him-

A knock sounded. "Michael?" It was Geoff. The warrior grumbled extremely unhappy as he got up and went to his door.

"What." The word was coated with annoyance.

His boss could care less. "Uh..." He looked curious. "Do you know when Jack got hurt?" Geoff knew that not knowing what happened to his bearded friend was going to bother him for a while. 

Michael's expression softened when he saw the tattooed man's concern. "Uh... he fell off one of the high pillars."

"Oh." The older man bit his lip. That must've hurt. "I wonder if he's okay..."

"Geoff, do you realize you're standing in the fucking rain?" Michael smirked. The man's mustache was dripping. 

Said man only shrugged. "It's refreshing."

The warrior could only roll his eyes. "Go home." He closed the door and went to sleep.

A few hours later, Lindsay, Ryan, Kerry, and Caleb entered Achievement City. The rain had left by then, and Ray saw them coming. He went up to them all.

"How is he?" The question that had been hanging in the air was finally spoken. 

Ryan stretched before he spoke. "He's alright. Concussion, broken arm, bruises..."

"Thank God." Ray smiled. "When can we see him?"

"Give him a day or two." Caleb spoke up. "Kdin's currently gonna watch over him for the night."

"Okay." The Rose lover couldn't help but be thankful for them. Without Ryan or Caleb, everyone probably would've kicked the bucket by now.


	21. Just Visiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan loses something, and one or two secrets are revealed just because he could find it. Jack and Gavin are both there to witness the few secrets come out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a cooldown chapter, after all the craziness before. These are my favorite chapters to write, since they are laid back and you can have lots of fun with new things. I hope you enjoy!  
> Comments and Questions Welcome!  
> Tumblr: aam5ever

Ryan looked in the last place he could look. He looked in the first place he could look. He searched everywhere, but never found the potion that helped him see better. He never really had the best eyesight. 

It was a nice, warm day. He heard a kitten mew from somewhere outside, and usually, he'd go and feed whatever animal came to his door. Today, he was in bit of a panic.

The cow keeper ended up giving up, and glared reluctantly at the glasses to his left before putting them on.

Kerry woke up and left Michael's house without waking the resting warrior. He had learned to do this for the benefit of both of them. It was way too early for Kerry's ear to get melted by Michael's yelling. Figuratively, of course.

He slipped out and started his journey to the hospital, to check on Jack.

"How's he doing?" Kerry asked just as he entered the AH Hospital a bit later. 

Kdin had been organizing some miscellaneous potions on the shelf, and turned towards him. "Hey Ker-Bear. He's pretty stable. Looks much better today."

Kerry paused, then smirked. "Did... did you just call me me Care Bear?" He laughed. "What kind of name is that?"

"I just thought of it." Kdin looked proud of himself. "Impressive, right?"

"Wrong."

"Shut up and go see Jack."

Kerry shrugged and did just that. He saw the gentle giant's even breathing and calm face and couldn't help but smile. "You seem well."

Of course, the sleeping man didn't respond. Kerry's eyes scanned the rest of his body. Arm in a sling... Bandage for his head... other than those two things, someone would mistake him for just getting in a minor incident with a badly tempered ocelot. 

"Get better, dude." 

Geoff rolled out of bed, tired and aching in his joints. "I'm getting too old to fight these God damn monsters." He mumbled to himself. Yet, the tattooed man knew he'd be back to hacking and slashing soon enough. 

He got ready to start the day, and had an odd morning meal of steak and milk. Geoff, once he exited the gigantic house, witnessed Ryan beginning to walk to the hospital to check on Jack. Geoff's face then pulled itself into a confused smile. 

"Are you-"

"I don't have the best eyesight, Geoff." Ryan quickly answered before he could ask. He never really told anyone that he used potions to help him see. They didn't even know he owned glasses. "I can't find my... thing that helps me see better." 

"And what thing is that?" His older friend looked amused.

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about it." He then began walking to the hospital yet again.

Upon reaching there, he immediately went to check on Jack. Kdin bumped into him, and they both staggered back.

"Woah!" Kdin steadied himself. "I was running over to tell you..." After fixing his glasses, the man looked to Ryan, and trailed off upon seeing him wearing the specks. However, there are more pressing matters. "To tell you that Jack's woken up."

The older man smiled and pat Kdin's shoulder before entering the room that Jack was kept in. The room was a nice one for the man, who Ryan saw sitting up and smiling at him.

"Glasses?" Was the first thing that Jack said to him. His voice was a bit weaker, but still full of the kindness and care it almost always had.

Ryan shrugged. "Why not?" He sat on a stool nearby, elbows on his knees, leaning forward as his fingers intertwined with his other hand's. "How do you feel?" His own voice was gentle.

Jack shrugged a little. "I'm a bit sore. I don't feel crippling pain. Just a few annoying as hell aches." He looked over at the mushroom stew that Kdin had been feeding him. "Can you hand that to me?"

"Uh..." Ryan shot him a puzzled look. "You have a broken arm. How are you gonna eat that with a broken arm?"

"I wasn't gonna say you had to feed me." Jack chuckled. "I thought I could do it myself."

Ryan smirked. "Don't be independent when you need dependent care." He picked the bowl up, along with a wooden spoon, and began feeding it to Jack. Even if the man's arm wasn't broken, he would've been much too tired and weak to hold the bowl properly. Ryan could tell.

They were like that for a bit, the bearded man being fed by Ryan. It was in comfortable silence, disturbed only by the slurp of Jack and his (wonderfully prepared) stew. 

"Thanks, Ryan." Jack said after almost all of the stew was gone.

"No problem." He put the bowl on the side table. "Do you need anything? Right now, I think the potions are working well, so all you need medically is time right now." 

"I'm okay." Jack told him. "Can you... can you hand me one of those books?"

Ryan looked at the shelf of books to the left. "These are mostly spell and history books..."

"Anything works."

Upon hearing that, he randomly picked one of the books and handed it to the man in the bed. With a quick goodbye, Ryan turned around-

"Sausages!" An accent called out, before the older man got the full force of Gavin as they both fell. Behind them, Jack couldn't help but laugh.

"Fucking- Gavin, why?" Ryan was on the ground, rubbing his shoulder. It had gotten a fair amount of the force.

"Sorry, Ry!" Gavin got up quickly. "I just wanted to run in and see Jack, I didn't see you standing there and..." He looked at Ryan, who had just got up, and saw him looking around for something with slightly squinted eyes. The Brit looked in between his feet and saw glasses he's never seen before. "Who's are these?"

Ryan hesitantly put him hand out. "They're... they're mine." Gavin's surprised face made Jack laugh even more behind them. 

"No way!" Gavin slowly gave them over, and a goofy grin spread over his face as the older man put them on. It made him look... different. "No smegging way!"

"They're just glasses, Gav." Ryan used the tone he usually did with the British man: slight annoyance mixed with a bit of exhaustion and a hint of amusement. 

Gavin squeaked a laugh. "Ryan Haywood, wearer of glasses. Who would've bloody known?"

"Hey Ryan," Jack called out to the guy. "why does this book say 'Property of James Haywood'?" He had been holding up the back of the book, which, indeed, said just that. "Was that who gave it to you? A relative?"

"Um..." Another secret blown. "That's... my name."

The room went silent for a moment.

"What?" Disbelief was in the bearded man's voice. "But, where'd 'Ryan' come from then?"

"That's my middle name."

Silence.

"Oh, I'm SO telling the guys!" Gavin's giggles increased when he saw Ryan's shocked and fearful expression.

"No, Gavin." He shook his head, hoping the Brit wasn't that much of a prick. "I go by Ryan because I PREFER the name. That's why I didn't tell you guys."

"That was a pretty well kept secret." Jack couldn't help but admit. "We've been in this city for who knows how long now, and I've never realized..."

"Damn, Ry." Gavin smirked. "First the cow, then the glasses, now the name..." He ticked the secrets off one by one on his fingers. "How many secrets do you have?"

"They're secrets because nobody has to know but me." The older man crossed his arms, one eyebrow raised. "Why should I tell you all the things that only I need to know?"

Other than all of that, it was a calm day. Jack and Gavin kept their word not to tell about the name, although when Ryan left, they immediately started giggling about it with each other. Away from them all, Ray was organizing his blaze rods.

"So," Pat began to try and make conversation. "how was the trip?"

"Fucking Enderdragons, man." Ray shook his head as he commented. "Hard things to kill."

"I've only bloody heard." Was Pat's smartass reply. Ray ignored it.

"Do you think..." The man sighed. "Nevermind."

"No, what is it?" Pst wanted to know what was on Ray's mind. The Rose lover did have some interesting thoughts now and again.

"Do you think we'll find anyone else?" Ray finally asked. "Out there. In this world, or in another dimension, or-"

"The possibilities are endless, Ray." 

That last sentence left them in silence for a while. It wasn't uncomfortable, it was just that both the head and the man were in deep thought.

Who else could they find?


	22. Rise of the Rabbits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of the saddest days in Achievement City history happen, along with one of the weirdest coincidences with two completely different scenarios. Let the strangeness begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love rabbits, I promise.  
> A chapter that's introducing...new developments in Achievement City!!! Hopefully I can create some new stories involving these new developments!  
> Comments and Questions Welcome!  
> Tumblr: aam5ever

Caleb woke up feeling like the weight of the world was on his chest. He awoke in a start, ready to sit up, but two adorable little eyes were staring up at him. The ears twitched on the little animal.

"Woah, hey there, little buddy..." He pet the creature on his chest before taking it in his hands and setting it off to the side. Sitting up, Caleb stretched generously, the breeze swaying the trees and grass around him. Next to him was Kdin's who was sleeping with another bunny nibbling on a leaf near his face. With a small chuckle, the nurse got up and stretched his legs, and his eyes widened at the new sight.

Rabbits, rabbits everywhere.

"What is going on?" Caleb scratched the back of his head before looking around the clearing. There were so many, and he had no idea why. Had the bunny population tripled while he slept? How many of the hares were shagging the night before?

In Achievement City, Geoff exited his gigantic house and was surprised to see three of the more innocent creatures in that world at his feet. He audibly made the "Aw..." that his kindhearted side of himself did all too well before surveying the rest of the creatures that were around.

Holy shit, why were there so many?

"What-"

"Oh my God!" Ryan yelled from his house. Geoff looked over and saw him stumbling back from almost trampling a rabbit. "Woah..."

"Ry," Geoff looked unsurely at him. "What did you do?" 

"Nothing!" He exclaimed. "I didn't do anything!"

"What's going on?" Gavin had emerged from him house now, and said that to himself. He had heard the commotion from the two, and exited the house to see the city overrun by bunnies.

This was the cutest takeover in history.

"What do we even do?" Ryan ran a hand through his hair.

Geoff rolled his eyes. "How should I fuckin' know?"

Soon, almost everyone met in the city, even the forest dwellers. Jack and Michael were at the hospital, and Michael brought his earpiece so he could hear was was being said in the meeting. The others quickly began to discuss the hopping creatures all around them.

"Do you think there was some big bunny orgy last night?" Ray chuckled. Lindsay hit him on the arm playfully.

"SO gross, dude." She giggled.

"Listen, we have to do SOMETHING about them!" Kerry pointed out. "They'll be a nusance soon, a nusance we won't be able to deal with if we keep off the inevitable."

"What inevitable?" Kdin folded his arms. "They're not gonna be a problem..."

"I think we should kill them." Geoff admitted with reluctance. That was the last thing he wanted to do, but it was their only choice. "We may not be able to do much with all these damn bunnies around."

"Where'd they even come from, anyway?" Lindsay questioned.

Caleb shrugged. "No idea."

"There's no way I can bloody just murder all these little bundles of cute!" The Brit told them. Just thinking about it was heart shattering. 

"We're not killing ALL of them." Caleb tried to calm the man, to make it seem less brutal. "Call it more... extermination."

It was Ryan's turn to be a big softie. "That sounds even worse!" He usually liked murdering things for a better purpose.

"How about crowd control?" Ray shrugged. "We have to bring the ratio of life to death to an equilibrium."

There was silence for a moment.

"Where'd you learn those words, Ray?" Geoff questioned curiously.

Ray smirked. "There's much more to me than fuckin' bad jokes and roses, Geoff."

"Whatever." 

"So..." Kerry removed his sword from his belt. "Should we get started?"

Lindsay sighed, sad that she had to do this. "I... I guess..." She took her sword out as well. 

"I can't look." Kdin admitted, shutting his eyes. "Do we really have to fucking do this?"

"It's the only way to get rid of them." The woman said before stabbing through the nearest one. The squeak it let out before dying even made Geoff make a noise of dissappointment. "C'mon, guys." Lindsay was being the tough one in this situation.

"Fine..." Kdin grumbled before starting to kill a few as well.

Soon, most of them were hacking and slashing through the forest creatures very reluctantly. It was pretty near emotionally scarring, even if these same creatures could spawn or multiply easily. Still, killing the pretty harmless creatures was torture for all of them, some taking it harder then others, everyone thuroughly displeased.

Gavin could hardly take it. He watched one bunny get decapitated before disappearing, and ran into his house.

Once they all declared that enough had been 'cleared' from the city, everyone put their swords away and shared the same sad, regretful look.

"I think that was the saddest thing I've ever done." Geoff said. "That was upsetting as dicks."

"Dicks are upsetting?" Caleb asked.

Kerry shrugged. "Sometimes."

"Where's Gavin?" Lindsay looked around. Sure enough, he was nowhere to be found. 

"Maybe he went back in his house." Ryan offered as a possibility.

"I'll go check." Ray jogged over to the stone home the Brit had previously made for himself. Opening the door without knocking, he stepped into the house...

...and witnessed Gavin feeding a baby bunny some hay.

"Gavin-" Ray was about to call his attention, but the Brit was already halfway through his explanation.

"Ray, I just couldn't handle seeing all those cute furry things die! I know they don't REALLY die, but bollocking hell, it was terrible! I had to keep one away!"

"Gavin, Gavin..." Ray put his hands up as if to stop him. "It's fine... maybe you should just put it back in the wild, though."

"I-I don't wanna." He was stubborn, holding the fragile yet fast creature near his chest. For some reason the scar on his arm was much more prominent than usual. 

The suited man sighed. "Gavin, it'll be better out in the wild. We're not gonna kill any of them for a long time." He jerked his thumb behind his back, pointing outside. "We've got enough rabbit meat to last us a fuckin' lifetime."

"Can you do it?" Gavin asked. "I don't think I could do it."

His friend agreed, and the Brit pet the creature in his arms one last time before handing it over to the waiting hands of Ray, who bid him a farewell before leaving. 

“Keep it safe!” The Brit quickly shouted to him.

“I will!” Ray responded.

Journeying into the woods, the man looked around. Sure, he could let the bunny go at any time, but he desperately needed an excuse to go for a walk alone. The calm of the swaying leaves around him, the cool breeze that drifted in between the trees, the rays of sunshine coming through the foliage ever so often... it was something Ray missed. Something everyone in Achievement City missed. They'd been in the Nether multiple times, sometimes for very long periods of time. It was always nice to breath in air that wasn’t full of sweat and stiffling heat. 

Sighing, Ray came to a beautiful clearing. He glanced up, however, and saw a wolf in front of him, licking his lips, staring at the poor bunny in the man’s arms. Obviously, this wasn’t the right place to settle down with the creature. He backed away, then looked for another place, hopefully as beautiful.

“How hard is it to find a safe place in this damn forest?” Ray wondered aloud as yet another creeper blew up way too close to him. The bunny buried its face into the now familiar human’s chest, obviously scared. “Finally.” Reaching a relatively safe area that even had tallgrass, Ray sat with the bunny. He finally put it down, and saw it’s head look up and around before settling on him again. “Go ahead.” The usually blunt man softly said. The bunny seemed to understand, since it began to hop towards some grass and partake in it. As the soft creature munched on the grass, the man took this as an invitation to lay back and enjoy the feeling of nature, something he hardly ever even WANTED to do. Ray saw the roses to his left, and plucked one, holding it up to his nose for the pleasant scent. It was such a soft, gentle scene around him... the bunny enjoying his meal... the sun casting beautiful light... it was enough to start lulling Ray to sleep.

And then, there was a noise.

Shooting up from his position, Ray sat up, and his eyes darted around. Another rustle sounded from the trees, and Ray couldn’t help but be frightened. He was more frightened for the rabbit than himself, since he promised Gavin it would be safe (terrible promise, on his part). What was out there?

"Hello?" He knew it was stupid to call out like that, but maybe it actually WAS someone.

"Hello?" That voice was not familiar.

Ray peered between two nearby trees, and stood there was a tall man with tossled hair, light skin, and wearing what looked to be... a prison jumpsuit? The Achievement City resident had never seen him in his life. Where did he come from?

"Who- who are-" Before the Hispanic could finish, the man began to run away from him. Immediately forgetting all about Gavin's bunny (who seemed pretty safe), Ray chased after the orange clad man. Said man seemed to be going in a set direction, obviously trying harder and harder to shake off the pursuer.

Finally, Ray tripped and got a face full of dirt, and could only look up in time to see his person-of-interest get further and further away, finally getting out of view once he turned right. Slowly getting up, Ray winced, knowing his shoulder had been the main shock absorber of the fall. It hurt like hell, but Ray knew that it would stop hurting once he rested or ate something, as things usually worked in the Overworld. The Rose lover wiped some earth off of his glasses, and rested them on his nose again, thankful for sight. He only had one question left to ask:

"Who the FUCK was that?"

Ray got back to Achievement City and seemed to be basically immediately tackled by Michael and Lindsay. Michael had finished his shift of looking over Jack, apparently. The sun shined brightly above the two, causing both red heads' hair to seem to have a radiance.

"We found-"

"There's other people-"

"Matt and Jeremy-"

"Hold on." Ray said, and they both immediately shut up, but didn't calm down. "Who's Matt and Jeremy?"

"Fuckin' we don't know just yet." Michael then pointed to the hospital. "They're being taken care of in the hospital."

Lindsay nodded in agreement. "They were apparently underground. They surfaced pretty close to the city, and Caleb spotted them." She was excited by the newcomers. "They introduced themselves, and were taken to the hospital for Nether injuries."

"Holy shit..." Ray said to mostly himself.

"What?" Michael caught what sounded like uncertainty mixed with confusion embedded into the man's muttered words. What could be troubling him? "What the hell's wrong? This is pretty incredible." The warrior folded his arms.

"I just..." Ray chuckled slightly to himself before sharing a small smile with the other two. "Nevermind."

Maybe keeping his own findings to himself was the best option.

"Oookay..." Lindsay then took a hold of both Ray and Michael's hand. "C'mon!" She began dragging them to the hospital. "Let's go see them!"


	23. They Just Keep Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More and more people just seem to come from nowhere. How big will their once small city get?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been writing so much lately! This was a calm chapter, again with explanation. Who are these people? Where are they from? Are they friendly? Tune in to find out!

Matt woke up with the weirdest headache. He could hardly remember where he was, let alone figure out who the people were that were staring at him.

"Why'd you wake him?" The shortest, dark haired one looked over to the girl.

"It was an accident!" She defended.

The one in yellow shorts scoffed. "Whatever you say, moron."

"Oh, fuck you too." They smiled at each other. Matt looked between all of them, pretty jarred at everything around him. The room they were in had a creaking wooden floor but pearly white walls. To his left was a small bookshelf, and to his right, a large cauldron for... bathing? Drinking? Matt couldn't remember; he hadn't seen one in a while. He had been journeying through the Nether and caves with-

"Jeremy?" He suddenly spoke. Coughing, he choked out the name again. "Jeremy... where's Jeremy?"

"Jeremy?" The dark haired one looked puzzled, and then the other man elbowed him.

"He must be talking about the guy in the other room."

Matt glanced towards the door behind the three. "Is he okay?" The man tried to get up, but only groaned with pain, settling back down immediately. Bruises ached, muscles seemed to moan, and he just felt all around pretty bad. 

In another room, Jeremy sighed as he rubbed one of his eyes. He had gotten much less bruises and harm when he and Matt were adventuring. Matt had immediately rested while Jeremy stayed up to talk with the leader of Achievement City, Geoff.

"Is that all you know?" The older man's voice was full of concern and curiousity.

Jeremy nodded. "We went looking for materials in the Nether, and ended up coming to this world via portal in the Fortress." He looked to where he know his friend was resting. "That was a while ago. This is the first time we've seen sunlight in what feels like years, but I'm pretty damn sure it was less." He sighed. "We came here, there was this huge bunny cave that a creepier blew up, and that's how we got out."

"That bunny cave part's still confusing as dicks to me."

"This world is confusing as dicks."

"Good point." Geoff began walking to the door. "Get some rest, Jeremy. We'll have to settle you into the city later." He then left the man to his thoughts. Jeremy decided that, yeah, he hadn't slept peacefully in so long. Laying his head on the soft pillow of the hospital bed, Jeremy drifted into a calm slumber.

"Calm down..." The woman coaxed him to do so. "Do you want something to eat? To drink?" She seemed like the most inviting person. The shortest man looked like a close second. "I'm Lindsay, by the way."

"I'm Ray." The dark haired one introduced himself.

The one that looked the least friendly smiled, showing off dimples and a kinder face. "Michael."

"Hi..." Matt awkwardly greeted. "I'm pretty sure you guys know I'm Matt."

They nodded.

"Good, I guess." 

"So, how'd you get here?" Ray asked, curious.

"Um..." That nap he just took left his mind in jumbled memories and dialogue, like a broken painting. He winced when an influx of memories hit him like a rock hard wave. "I..."

"You don't have to tell us now." Lindsay assured him. "We can ask your friend, see if he can remember. I think Geoff talked to him already."

"Geoff?" 

"He's sort of the leader of our group." Michael explained. "That screams at moving shadows and kissed our potion guy."

"What?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Have they talked to you already?" The woman tried to get back on track. 

"I think so, yeah... but not much." Matt told them. "I think they talked to Jeremy more. He kind of took less of a beating than I did." He glanced down at the burns and stitches that littered his arms. He suddenly felt very vulnerable, not having his normal attire on. It was unsettling to him.

"Well, welcome to Achievement City." Ray smirked. "Hope you don't completely hate it here."

Matt couldn't help but chuckle at the man's humor. "Thanks. I'll try not to."

Ray, Lindsay, and Michael then went to visit Jack, who had healed up enough to go home now. He had been putting on his left boot when they entered.

"Hey guys." The bearded man was in high spirits. "What's up?"

"How ya feelin'?" Michael sat in one of the chairs in the room. Lindsay sat on the bed, next to Jack. Ray stood.

He smiled at all his friends. "Great, actually. This stay at the hospital has been surprisingly cozy. I kinda miss the city, though."

"Good thing you're coming home." Lindsay kicked the other boot over to him, and he nodded to thank her. "We have some new citizens." 

"I've heard. What're their names? I haven't gotten to see them, let alone know their names."

"Matt and Jeremy." Michael informed him. He picked out one of the books that was on top of the bookshelf. "They're resting up." He turned to the first page, then held it up. "James Haywood?"

"Don't worry about it." Jack shrugged it off, then proceeded to switch the subject. "So, are they nice?"

Lindsay nodded. "We met Matt. He's a cool guy, right, Ray?"

"Huh?" The youngest man had been caught up in his own thoughts about the encounter he had in the forest. Who could it be? Was there another person from another dimension? Had he always been in the world?

"Fucking Christ, Ray. Pay attention, much?" The warrior teased the suited man. "We're talking about Matt."

"Oh, yeah. Solid guy. 10/10." Was his short answer.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Isn't every person solid?"

"You know what I mean." 

Later that day, Gavin visited Geoff, like usual. They sometimes sat in the gigantic house and talked over meals, like they were doing today. It's been such a long time since they participated in the activity. Doing it was sure to be relaxing and calm.

Gavin took his seat on the floor, his bowl of mushroom soup next to a small loaf of bread. To his right was a cup of milk. Geoff sat with his mutton and bread, water to his side instead. It was like an indoor picnic dinner. The house was warm and nice to be in, despite what basically looked like a lack of ceiling. 

"So, anything new?" Was Gavin's starting question as he sipped from his stew. 

Geoff nodded. "Those Matt and Jeremy guys are pretty new." He partook in his meal as well.

"Are they from the world Kdin, Kerry, and Caleb came from?" Another slurp.

The older man had no idea whatsoever. "Maybe." He drank from his bottle. "Wouldn't they have seen each other?"

"It IS a big world, Geoff." Gav smiled. "No matter where you are."

Jack was checking in with Kdin, getting ready to leave the hospital's care. It was a final checkup, an assessment of how healed up he was. The bearded man extended his arm so the younger one could examine his scar.

"It'll only get better than how it looks now." Was Kdin's positive response. A few more examinations of stitches, healing bruises, and a fading cut or two, and Jack was given the green light. "You're healing super well. Try not to get into too much trouble. I don't need you coming back all the damn time needing a new stitch and a kiss of the forehead."

"One of those I will definetely not ask for." Jack chuckled lightheartedly. "I'll see ya later, Kdin."

"Yeah, later." They waved at each other before Jack left in high spirits. 

Walking home was refreshing, even if there was a possibility of snow at night. The clouds couldn't restrain the sun from peeking out once and a while, sending a wave of warmth over him before a cool breeze whisked it away, reviving Jack's senses. The hospital had been nice and all, but one open window can't compare to open air all around you. Jack sighed as a bunny ran across his path, sniffing the air before scampering away. If he had known of it, the man would recognize the creature as Gavin's rabbit.

The sun began to set, and the glorious yellows and reds that were melting into bruised purples and blues were breathtaking. The sight mezmerized Jack all the way to Achievement City, where he almost bumped into Ryan.

"Woah there, dude." Ryan put a hand out in front of him to stop the Gent. "Keep your eyes in front of you."

"Oh, sorry." Jack sheepishly smiled. "I just haven't been out here in a while.

Ryan patted his shoulder. "Understandable. Want me to keep you company?"

"Yeah." Jack and he began walking to the bearded builder's home. "So, what's been going on while I was resting up?"

"I hope you like rabbit stew."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have caught a wild Matt and wild Jeremy!  
> Comments, Suggestions, and Prompts welcome!!!  
> Tumblr: aam5ever


	24. Creepers Can Frolic?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Creepers can frolic?   
> Maybe not all can.  
> But maybe Gavin Free could  
> The city's Creeper Man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was such a short, sweet pleasure to write. It's my first time ever working any type of poem into a usually regular story, so I want feedback of how you like it!  
> This honestly only took me ten minutes to write because I am in love with rhymes.

The snow fell down gently at first, as a beautiful sight. The men and woman around the world were cozying in for the night.

Lindsay and the other forest dwellers slept in the trees. If they stayed on the ground, snow would be up to their knees.

Ray and Pat slept in their comfy abode. If they were a computer, they'd be in sleeping mode.

Geoff was one of the few that were still up. He sat on his bed with warm milk in his cup.

Jack couldn't be stirred by anyone near. He felt cozy and warm, thanks to his beard.

Michael's own rage kept him toasty at night. If anyone woke him, they'd be in for a fright.

Ryan just started to drift to sleep now. He dreamt of bovine and the moo's of his cow.

But where was Gavin, the creeper man? Well, he's wide awake, smiling as wide as he can.

"Snow?" He exclaimed. "Oh boy, I can't wait!" And he ran out of his house, the fastest to date.

The precipitation floated down to the city. It was lightened by the moon, making all around Gavin look pretty.

He stuck out his tongue to taste the snow. The flakes danced as if performing a show. 

It quickly began to pile up on the ground. When the Brit walked, the snow made a 'crunch' sound.

Gavin picked up some and let it fall from his fingers. Even when it was gone, the cold numbness still lingers.

The British man's scarf kept him comfy and heated. It was actually a bit thicker than he needed.

"Jesus," He whispered. "The sun'll get rid of this tomorrow." Gav tried not to think of he possible sorrow.

He laid in the fallen flakes, shivering when doing so. Then he fluttered his arms and legs, making an angel of snow.

Gav got up and began to make snow balls. He slipped and fell once, making a noise resembling bird calls.

A warrior awoke, disgruntled and tired. He opened his door to check where the noise transpired.

"Gavin!" He shouted, what the fuck are you- Oof!" Michael got snow to the face, sending some up with a 'poof'.

The Brit couldn't help but let out a giggle. "Sorry boi." He apologized. "It was only a little."

"Oh you little shit, I'll get you this time." And as Michael chased Gavin, that's the end of this rhyme.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, Suggestions, and Prompts welcome!  
> Tumblr: aam5ever


	25. Baby It's Cold Outside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The snow's still there in the morning, and the city decided to take advantage of this. Sledding and... Wait, where's Ray?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honor of the holidays, another snow chapter! This one's a bit more merry at first, and then... Shit gets real.

Kerry woke up shivering in his small room underneath Michael's house. To his sides, the black skulls stared at him. He was used to it by then, and climbed out his waterbed.

"Why is it so fr-freezing in here?" Kerry complained to no one. He rubbed his hands together for warmth and began to climb up the ladder, to Michael's house on the surface. He could see his breath in front of him, which was bizarre to him. It wasn't usually this cold in Achievement City.

"Michael?" Kerry called out. There wasn't a reply at all in the house. "Where the hell...?" He then turned and looked out the window...

...and saw Michael burying Gavin in mountains of snow.

"Jesus Christ." Kerry sighed, grabbed the blue scarf that matched his outfit, and marched outside.

The city was coated with the blanket of snow. It was shimmering under the sun, that wasn't doing a very good job keeping the Overworld warm. Gavin's squawking was the only sound in the entire city. Kerry looked further and saw Caleb and the others emerging from the forest. He stepped into the snow, and felt himself sink down much more than he thought he would. He immediately fell on his face.

Michael just happened to look over at that moment, and burst out laughing. “Kerry, pull yourself together, man!” He let Gavin be and went/waddled over to help Kerry up.

The shorter man felt like his face was freezing off. “Wh-what are you g-guys doing out- doing out here?” His teeth wouldn’t even stop their chattering to let him speak. 

“Just taking advantage of the weather, Kerry.” Gavin had finally resurfaced from the snow he was just basically 6 feet under. He had also trotted over to their conversation. “I just adore snow in Achievement City. It only happens, like, only bloody once every couple years.”

Michael's nose and ears were turning a rosy red. "Yeah, it's pretty damn rare-"

"God damn it." Ryan had just came out of his house, and seen the snow. "Time for pants." He retreated back into his house, and came back out with trousers with the same pattern as his usual kilt.

"Ryan has special pants?" Kerry cocked his head to the side in suspicion. "You'd think he'd wear them more often..."

"I enjoy the draft the kilt has." Ryan smirked as he walked over to them. "This is just way too cold for even I to bear in just a skirt." He folded his arms, and then got a face full of snow.

"Ha!" Gavin giggled as the snow slowly slid off of the cow keeper's face, and under it was an evil expression. It was then Ryan's turn to run after Gavin, and they ended up racing past the forest dwellers that were coming up to Michael and Kerry.

"Hey guys." Kdin smiled. Lindsay kissed Michael a good morning, and Caleb couldn't tell if it was the cold or embarrassement that got the warrior's cheeks red.

"We were thinking of maybe going sledding today." Caleb said. "Turns out, most of the world is like this."

Kerry's eyes widened. "Really? Odd."

"Yeah." Lindsay pumped a fist in the air. "Fuckin' snow hype!"

"We should go check out if there are any hills we can sled on." Kdin said. "And check on Matt and Jeremy."

"Maybe they can come with us." Michael offered as an idea. "Right?"

"I'll go check on them." Lindsay told them. Kdin decided to go with her, and they ventured to the hospital.

Soon, everyone else in the winter wonderland formerly known as Achievement City woke up. Ray was the last to get up, and he only had one thing to say when he saw outside.

"Fuckin' A."

They all agreed the sledding idea was a great one. With Geoff leading, most of the population of the world began walking into the forest in search of the perfect hill.

"Sledding?" Matt scratched the back of his head. "I don't know..."

They had gotten the two friends together and asked them both at once. They had been feeling much better than before, but both were skeptical. Should they even trust these people? What if they were just using them for information?

"Only if you're feeling better." Lindsay tried to make sure they understood. 

Jeremy shrugged at Matt, as if to say, 'What harm could they do?'. The other man understood.

"Sure, we'll come." Jeremy's answer made the two others smile. 

"We repaired your clothes." Kdin told them. "But I think we should get Jeremy some warmer clothes."

"Nah." He shrugged the offer off. "I don't get cold."

"He's part zombie." Matt explained as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "He doesn't get affected by weather too much. And sometimes, he can even control zombies."

The two standing in front of them had a range of emotions before Lindsay finally spoke.

"Excuse me?"

"We'll explain later."

Ray's mind had been... troubled, lately. He couldn't get his mind off of the person he saw in the forest. It was hard to find a person you didn't know in a city once consisting of only six or so. So, when you do find someone like that, it's hard to forget, or even take your mind off of. 

Well, it can be easy to get your mind off of if you hit a tree. Which is exactly what Ray did. 

"Jesus, Ray!" Gavin went to help him up. He had smacked face-first into a tree, and caused even more snow to fall from it, onto him. His suit was covered in the white stuff when he stood up again. Like a dog, he shook himself off, wiped his glasses, and saw all the worried faces staring at him. 

"Are you okay?" Ryan asked. "How'd you even manage to keep your skull? That was a hard whack."

"I'm fine." Wow, that hurt like a motherfucker. "Let's keep going." 

Gavin sighed. "Alright." He patted the man's shoulder before continuing. In little time, they came to a nice clearing with a beautifully sloped hill. The sun made the snow shine and sparkle, and an ocelot darted from the top of the hill to the bottom.

Around the hill, the trees were dark green, sprinkled with what looked like sugar. Kerry batted at one of the branches, which caused the white to shower and glide down. He caught some on his tongue.

"Sleds?"

"Ready." Kerry, Michael and Caleb had the sleds. They were really just wooden planks, but they were good enough to sled on. Handing them out, Gavin and Jack were the first ones up the hill. Apparently, they were excited.

Jack sat on his sled, and Gavin got behind him to push. Once he did, the bearded man couldn't help but yelp as he spun while sliding down the hill. It was a thrilling experience, the snow on the hill being thrown up again once Jack slid through it. Brisk air was refreshing against his face. Nose red and eyes watery, Jack barely had time to move at the bottom of the hill before Gavin came down screaming in joy. He slowed to a stop, and jumped up, eager to get to it again.

Geoff was next to go, and in all honesty, he was scared. Caleb pushed him, and he immediately did two counterclockwise spins before straightening out...

...and sliding down backwards.

"GOD DAMN IT!" He yelled as he slid down the rest of the way, facing up the hill. He saw Michael and Ray got going at the same time, on the same sled. They immediately began rolling down the hill instead of sledding.

Ray and Michael were basically a human snowball before they reached the bottom of the hill. Untangling themselves from each other, they both laughed. 

Eventually, Matt and Jeremy arrived with Lindsay and Kdin. They were all greeted with warm hearts, and given sleds. "Try not to break your ass when sledding." Ryan smirked. "It's not hard to do." He pointedly looked over at Ray and Michael before leaving.

Matt gave Jeremy a look. Maybe these people were nice after all.

"Let's race!" Kdin said. Jeremy raced him and Ray, and they all ended up crashing into each other. Either way, it was still fun to watch.

Geoff's laughter was ever present. "What fucking morons!" He howled. Gavin giggled next to him.

Lindsay smiled, and Michael cautiously moved to hold her hand. It caught her by surprise, but she held on tight. They sat in the snow and talked about everything they could.

It was such a great day; everyone having fun in such cold weather. Gavin and Geoff wanted to see who could get the fastest time going down the hill. They both were being timed by Kdin, and couldn't seem to stop getting the same time of 10 seconds.

Matt and Jack talked about building. Ryan had went back and gotten them all warm milk (they were unsure if Edgar was involved) so they didn't freeze. Jack sipped the milk as Matt expressed how he and Jeremy often built for fun once before. Towers and areas, games of gigantic scales... they did it all. Jack was listening to it all, and made a mental note to have Geoff make them honorary parts of the building crew.

Ray drank his milk and leaned against his tree. Adjusting his glasses, he noticed something move just out of direct sight. Curious, he put his cup down in the snow and ventured beyond the tree line. Nobody saw him leave. At least, he thought nobody did.

The man heard rustling to his left, and followed it. A snow bunny darted across Ray's path, and he nearly fell in surprise. Maybe that was all tha-

The thought hadn't even finished in his mind before the same bunny was pierced with an arrow.

Blood seeped into the white snow, and Ray stared in bewilderment. What had just happened? The poor creature twitched before seeming to finally die, the arrow sticking out of its side. 

Someone came out of the shadows. Ray recognized the orange.

The dark haired man, bow in one hand, bent down and assessed his game. Ripping the bloodied arrow out of the bunny, he stuffed it into his bag (It must've been his inventory) and began to stand once more.

"Who are you?" Ray called out. His voice cracked. The man's head immediately snapped to the source. Ray was frightened, unsure of what this male would do to him.

It became apparent of his intentions when he began running at him. 

Ray, startled, quickly turned and began running himself. The snow was slippery, and his shoes weren't the best in this weather. A protruding tree root tripped him. Falling, he yelped in a very unmanly way. The other, who had been chasing Ray, pulled him up from the ground, and slammed him onto a tree, his hand encircling his neck. The tree's white powder came down, settling stinging cold snow onto Ray and the mysterious man's face.

Whoever he was, his grip was strong, choking the helpless Ray. Ray was clawing at the man's hands, gaping like a fish, fighting for air. That only encouraged the man to squeeze tighter, making his victim's eyes roll to the back of his head and pass out.

Out of nowhere, Caleb's sword hilt knocked the man's head hard, causing him to pass out as well. Caleb sheathed the sword, and wondered how he was going to explain this all to Geoff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever  
> Message me ;)


	26. Friend or Foe?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is this man, where is he from, and can he even speak?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, I know. I wrote this in Marshalls XD God bless Google docs mobile.  
> Enjoy!

Why was he so hostile that time?

That was what Ray thought when he woke up. The last time, he ran away from him. Now... he tried to kill him. 

Needless to say, the Hispanic was confused. He had found this man in the forest... and the man tried to kill him. Don't trust strangers, yeah, he knew that...

But there were hardly any strangers IN Achievement City!

Ray looked around, and realized he was in his own home. He must've not been too banged up, otherwise Kdin and Caleb would be all over him like feathers on a chicken.

The door opened, and Geoff came through it. The younger man sat up, wondering what he was going to say. Finally, Geoff spoke.

"I know him."

Well, that was a shock.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Ray's voice was hoarse. He coughed a little before continuing. "You know who he is?"

Geoff shook his head. "I've seen him in the forest... well, shadows, really. Whenever I tried to investigate it, he disappeared. Sometimes I'm gone from Achievement City for fucking hours just to find the prick." He scratched the side of his face. "I don't know why he chose you to attack."

Ray was just as confused as the tattooed man. All the times that Geoff went after him, he never tried to hurt him? "Where is he?"

"We decided to put him in a hole."

"A hole?"

"Ryan made one just outside of the Achievement City logo."

"Of fucking course."

The Hispanic felt well enough to get up, so he followed Geoff to the hole that he was talking about. The snow was beginning to melt away, and the logo was visible under the slush. He must've been out for about a day or something. There's no way the snow could melt so easily. Lindsay was looking down at it, and tapped the glass over it with her foot. 

"Interesting..." She whispered to herself. Beneath her feet, the man glared up at her. He was NOT happy.

The both went to stand by Lindsay, and she jumped slightly. "Jesus, you two!" She laughed. "You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry, Linds." Geoff smiled at her. Then he turned his attention down at their captive. "Has the dickhead said a word?"

She shook her head to signify a 'no'. "Nope. It's like he's mute. He hasn't even yelled at us..."

"Maybe we should bring him up from there." Ray suggested. They both turned to look at him. "Talk to him directly. At least find out his freaking name."

After a bit of debating, they decided that it wasn't such a bad idea. The got him out of the hole, and he cooperated, not saying a word. They took him into Geoff's house for questioning, Lindsay being the one at his side just in case he decided to lash out. So far, he seemed to not have that intent.

He also seemed to not have any intent on telling them information, either.

"We need to know who you are, and where you came from..." Geoff began. "If we do, we can then start to get somewhere with this, right?"

Silence.

"Listen, whoever you are, I have no fucking idea why you ran away from us and then tried to choke me," Ray impatiently spoke. "but we at least need to know your name. What is it? Carl? Jason? Felix? Please don't tell me it's Felix."

The man still didn't speak.

Geoff groaned audibly. "This is getting annoying as dicks." He rubbed some sleep out of his eyes. "Why won't you talk?"

After a few minutes of pointless asking and assessing, Ray suddenly had an idea. "Does he know HOW to talk?" Geoff looked over at him, confused and wondering. Even Lindsay cast a glance at the man, who now looked away. The youngest of them all took a step towards the mysterious man. Geoff and Lindsay noticeably got protective, unsure about what Ray was going to do. He simply pointed at his mouth and shook his head. 

The man nodded slightly. Finally, they were getting somewhere.

"Does that mean he doesn't know how to speak at all?" Lindsay asked, relaxing. "Or just not our language?"

"Not sure." Ray admitted. "But maybe Ryan can help him." 

"Why Ryan?" The redhead woman asked. 

"He has lots of books." Geoff shrugged. "Maybe he just doesn't know our language, there's something Ryan can do. If he doesn't know how to speak, maybe Ry can teach him. Those books have a lot of information."

The man was confused. These strange people were talking about him. He could tell by their body language. What they were saying, though... was lost to him. He wasn't accustomed to such staccato, quick speaking, let alone understand the words being said. It was only when the one with glass on his eyes (yeah, it freaked him out too) used simple hand movements did he get that they were wondering if he could speak their language. The only logical answer was no. Why pretend? And why weren't they killing him, like he had tried to do to the one with the glass on his eyes? 

What did they want from him?

He didn't know what to do. When they all began to walk to the door, the woman took his wrist as if to lead him. He followed, trying not to seem as nervous as he was. You don't show weakness to anyone except for who you trust. How could he know if to trust these strange people in this bizarre place?

"Let's have him stay in the hospital." Geoff said. "It's the easier place to keep him. Constant supervision there."

"Does he have a home?" Ray asked. 

Lindsay shrugged. "No idea. When you were knocked out, we tried to get him to speak then, too. No luck, and now we know why."

They reached the hospital and had him get a room. Jeremy and Matt were off with Jack to build a house for both of them, a bit out of the way of the city. The had said their idea needed 'lots of space'. 

"Um, you, uh..." Lindsay awkwardly tried to show him that he lived in the hospital now. The man shook his head, and signed that he lived a bit eastward, where the mountains were. She laughed nervously before turning to Ray. "How the hell do I sign the word 'temporarily'?"

Somehow, they got him to understand. When Lindsay went to get Ryan, Ray and Geoff saw the man's eyes drift to the books. He picked one off the shelf, and they both did nothing to stop his curiousity. Instead, they saw him read small portions of books before putting them back on the bed he was sitting on and moving to another one. His bed was littered with books before he found one that seemed to suit him. Ray tilted his head to see he title, and it was in a language he couldn't even begin to understand.

"Geoff, look..." The mustached man had become disinterested halfway through the mysterious man's book search. When Ray called him, he looked up from his picking at his suit, and saw what he was pointing at.

"...what the fuck does that even SAY?" 

Ray shrugged. "It must be his native language." 

Geoff contemplated that for a while before speaking again. "Whatever it is, it looks difficult."

"Ryan"ll understand it." Ray assured him. "He's a nerd for this kind of shit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever  
> Shoot me a message. :D


	27. Understanding the New Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan, indeed, is a nerd for this multi-language, ancient shit.  
> And Matt and Jeremy have been... busy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I've been neglecting my duties, but I haven't really gotten time to write. I seem to neglect this one the most because these chapters have to be more than 600 words, unlike That Bites. I hope you enjoy, you guys!

"My God..." Ryan said in awe. "This is incredible!" He looked at the book that the man had been reading before he went to sleep. "Do you know what this is?"

"No, Ryan," Geoff smirked, trying to contain his giggles. "but please enlighten us." Ryan was, indeed, a nerd for this shit.

"This is very ancient script. Something that took me seven years to fully decipher..." He seemed giddy. "Jeez, how did you find this guy?"

"Oh, you know, he tried to choke me to death." Ray nonchalantly said. "No biggie."

Ryan shook his head at Ray's sarcastic demeanor before cracking open the book and reading a few lines. "Brilliant... he's like an ancient artifact of this world..." He continued to flip through the pages, captivated in what this new guy could do. Said new guy was currently residing in the hospital, under the careful watch of Caleb and Kdin. Caleb was basically glaring at him, but he didn't mind. 

They had brought the book to Ryan, who was just emerging from Edgar's hole. Giving it to him was the first step to trying to understand this new visitor of theirs. 

"So," Ray interrupted the man's little session with the book. "do you think you can speak to him?"

"Does fire have flames?"

"...yes?"

"Then yes."

Geoff nodded, completely fine with this. "Great. When do you want to see him?"

"Give me a day." He requested. "I'll need to pick out choice sentences and get paper to take notes on and-"

"Cool." Ray clapped his hands together and interrupted the older man. "Glad that's fuckin' settled." He sheepishly smiled at Ryan's rolled eyes. "Want me to come with?" 

The cow keeper looked skeptical as he placed the book on one of his tables. "I don't know..." He thought back to what the man did to Ray in the forest. 

Geoff knew what he was thinking. "He already visited him today. The man didn't fuck with him."

"Oh... well shit, okay then." Ryan shrugged. What could he do about it? "Sure. I'll be there at tomorrow's noon."

"Perfect." The Hispanic smirked. 

That evening, Michael decided that he wanted to find Matt and Jeremy. Maybe he could get to ask about how Jeremy became part zombie. Twirling his sword in one hand while he walked, the warrior whistled as the melting snow crunched and squished underneath his feet. Somehow, his banana-colored shorts didn't make him feel cold. They never did.

"What. The. Fuck." He said to himself only. A tower, so high he could barely see the flag on top, stood tall in the beginnings of a desert not far from Achievement City. Jack was using clay on the structure to fix a part that had caved in on itself when Michael had arrived. He turned and waved, dirty from a good day's work. He was still, himself, in awe of how fast the tower was done. Who knew Jeremy and Matt were basically wizards at this shit?

"Hey, Michael." He cheerfully greeted. 

"Hey, um, what the fuck is this?" The other man asked, still staring up at it. 

Jack chuckled. "Matt and Jeremy's new home." 

"You're kidding."

"I wish." He continued to pat down some clay with his bare hands. "They're amazing with building. They're inside."

Michael nodded, and went inside via wooden door. The pillars of the first floor were beautiful, illuminated with glowstone. The next two floors were equally as great, but pretty barren. He couldn't help but think of how weird it was. He walked and his footsteps echoed. He climbed ladders and felt as if he was storming the very fortress.

The warrior found them on the roof, putting some swords and potions in chests. "Hey, guys." His voice caused them both to jump before turning around and smiling at him.

"Hey, Mike." Jeremy ventured to say the nickname.

"Michael's just fine."

"Great, there goes my social skills."

"What's up?" Matt steered the conversation away from a possible awkward silence.

"You're fucking fortress, apparently!" Michael exclaimed. "How the hell did you do this? It's not as tall as Geoff's house, but it damn sure is fancier!"

The two looked at each other, and then lamely shrugged. They really didn't have a talent in their eyes. "We just did." Was Matt's answer. "We haven't built in a while, actually. It's sort of lame compared to what we did years ago."

Michael shook his head in disbelief. "When Geoff sees this, he's gonna cream his pants and beg you to build Let's Plays."

"Let's Plays?" Jeremy asked. "What are Let's Plays?"

"Weekly challenges or games we do to compete for the Tower of Pimps." More confused faces. "The four fucking gold blocks on the obsidian base you've seen in the city."

"I thought that was just a totem pole." Matt informed him. "Like, you guys were really into rain or something."

Michael laughed at that. These guys were a riot. He was gonna get along with them very well. "Anyway, some require building. So, Geoff might kick Gavin-"

"The one that talks funny?"

"Yeah," He answered Jeremy. "he might kick him off the team and add you guys. Kdin, too, since he's pretty damn good at that shit."

"He came and helped us a little." Matt commented. He looked off at the sunset, and the redhead followed his gaze. Damn, they make this tower high. Reds and purples were transitioning into darker blues, signaling nightfall. They didn't even notice when Jack came up with water.

The bearded man also looked out at the scenery. What an ideal place to build. "So guys," They all turned to him. "wanna just hang out for a while?"

"Until we kick you guys out? Yes." Jeremy said. They all went and sat at the edge of the top of the tower, drinking out of water bottles and thinking to themselves. Most of the time was comfortable silence and cool breezes. 

"We haven't had a Let's Play in a while..." Michael said absentmindedly. "There's been a lot of crazy things going on around here, and we hardly have the time for it. They're on the fifth day of the week, usually."

Jack nodded. "Maybe we can get you guys to participate."

Matt couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Physical activities? Not my strong suit."

"You just built a fucking tower!" Michael yelled excitedly.

"But that's more... thought process." He tried to explain. Michael only sighed and shook his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever  
> Message me!


	28. R is for Roy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray and Ryan begin lessons with Joel, and he turns out to be less than what they expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, I know these are shorter than usual. I hope you still enjoy though!

Ray ran into the hospital room a minute after noon, just as Ryan sat down in his chair across from the mysterious man. "I'M HERE!" He shouted way too loudly. The man visibly cringed at the loud foreign language. Ray swore he was going to be late, which is why he dashed from his dirt house to here.

"Jesus, Ray, don't scare him as much as you scare me." Ryan told him. "Take a seat." He gestured to the chair next to him. The Hispanic did as he was told, and smiled at the man. He, in turn, stared back. Awkwardly, Ray shifted his focus to Ryan, who was flipping through the pages of the book.

"Okay... got it." And that was the last thing Ryan said in English before he began speaking to the man. Ray's brow furrowed as Ryan spoke, and his eyes widened when the man spoke back. His own voice was light and stuttering, and did not really match his rather tall, tough exterior. Maybe it was only Ray, but he thought that he was going to sound even deeper voiced than Ryan. He had a voice like Gavin's, but he spoke with his hands too, doing movements that even Ryan was trying not to pay attention to. He had to understand what he was saying, not what he was doing. He was just very into expressing with his hands.

After their conversation, Ryan turned back to Ray. "His name's Joel." He explained. "He lives in the northeastern mountains. He's seen us before, but didn't know who we were."

Ray scratched his stubble. So that's where this guy came from. "Does he know any English?"

Ryan shook his head to say no. "Not at all. He wants to try to communicate with us, though."

"Really?" Ray grinned at that. At least this Joel guy wasn't being a complete prick about this. "How're you gonna teach him?"

"This only way I know how." He went over to the shelf and got a different book. "Reading." The book was cracked open, and class had begun.

For the next few hours, Ryan sounded out and read different simple words from a book, and then gave them a meaning in Joel's native language for him. Joel was a quick learner. He picked up things rather fast, even if he sounded a little like a toddler. Ray could do nothing but watch as this outsider slowly learned their speech. He couldn't help but wonder where Joel's native language even came from. 

"Ray." Hearing his name, the Hispanic snapped out of his thoughts and looked over. Ryan wasn't calling him. He was pointing at him, teaching Joel his name. 

Joel's face screwed up a little before saying his name. "Roy." Well, almost his name.

Ray smirked, and pointed at himself. "Ray." He repeated what Ryan said. 

"R... Ray." The man smiled. "Ray?" When the Hispanic nodded, Joel looked pleased with himself. "Ray, I... I am Joel." He sounded the words out. Ryan smiled warmly, seeing him getting it and saying the sentence correctly.

Ray nodded with a smile, not knowing if 'good' or 'great' was taught to him yet. 

When lessons ended, Ryan and Ray stood up. "I think that's it for today." He told him. He turned to Joel and repeated that in his language. When the man understood, he nodded.

"Good bye, Joel!" Ray said to him.

Joel looked caught off guard, but then smiled at him. "G-good bye, Roy!" 

Ryan and Ray began their walk back to Achievement City. On the way, they had to dodge a skeleton's arrow, and then kill it shortly after. 

Once that was over with, Ryan finally spoke up. "He's learning faster than expected."

"I could tell." Ray stated while stretching. "Why's he so fucking nice, anyways? I thought he'd be ready to kill us all. Instead, he's learning basic phrases and all smiles and such."

"I'm not sure why he's not very hostile right now." Right now were the key words to the sentence, and Ray knew it. "But I'm damn sure glad he isn't. He's very... capable."

Ray also knew exactly what that meant. "Ryan, if you're going to try to sugarcoat his lethalness, at least try harder." He chuckled. Ryan did too, and they came to a small incline. Once climbed, Achievement City was not so far away.

"So, the northeastern mountains, huh?" Ray spoke again after a few minutes of silence. 

Ryan shrugged. "I guess. We hardly visit that place, so I could see how we never noticed." The stopped walking once they reached the middle of Achievement City. "I know Geoff mentioned seeing him a few times, though." A pig wandered into the small city and immediately went up to Ryan, squealing and snorting. Ryan, never even seeing this pig before, began to pet it's head. It, at first, shook his head, but then it began to snort happily as the guy scratched behind its ears.

"Jesus, Ryan." Ray laughed. "Tone down the animal calls."

The man only shook his head with a sigh as he continued to pet the pig. "I have no idea, dude. They just come to me."

"Despite the fact that you keep an animal in a hole?"

"Hey, I'm doing it to protect you. Edgar's one violent son of a bitch." 

Gavin, who had been residing in his home the whole first part of the day, came out just then. He stretched his back, repositioned his scarf, and yawned as if he just woke up. The Brit saw two citizens in the middle of the city with a... a pig? Well, that didn't matter. 

He was out to go get some wheat, and not much has been growing around Achievement City. Bread supply was running low in the place. He could barely make himself a porkchop sandwich this morning. Wheat was a pretty big asset to their food supply. Maybe he should start a farm nearby...

Thinking of the idea, Gavin quickly went to knock on Geoff's door. Geoff lazily opened it, blue eyes drooping more than usual. Yep, he'd been sleeping.

"AH Farms." The Brit said without context. 

Geoff paused for a moment before looking at him, confused. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Gavin opened the door wider himself. "I'll explain." He slipped inside, and Geoff groaned.

"Shit on my dick dude..." He closed the door. "What is it?"

"I think we need a farm." Gavin told him. "I can't bloody find wheat anywhere, and I sort of need it for bread and stuff."

"...Is that it?" Geoff wasn't impressed. "Is that all you want to grow?"

Gavin frowned. What was so bad about that? "What did you have in mind?"

"Why not more things?" The tattooed man told him. "Carrots, pumpkins, mushrooms, potatoes... we're not very good at finding those, either." He listed them on his fingers. "Wouldn't that be a bit more, you know, beneficial?"

He was totally right. The creeper man nodded at the idea. "That sounds top, Geoffery!" He liked the idea a lot. "What if that becomes a Let's Play? They have to grow as much as they can in, like, an hour?"

That sounded even better. Geoff smirked. "Look's like we got ourselves a Let's Play, buddy." He highfived Gavin. "I guess we have to build an area for farming." He groaned

"We haven't done one of those kinds of builds in forever." Gavin said. "We haven't done a Let's Play in forever!" It at least felt like it. "Should we include all the other guys?"

Geoff thought about it, and then shrugged. "Only if they want to. Someone's gonna have to watch over that other guy, though."

"Yeah. Probably Caleb." The British man suggested. "Hey, have you seen Matt and Jeremy's new house?"

"No," Geoff said, slightly worried. "What, does it suck?"

"Oh, you're gonna make a mess in your suit when you see it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever  
> Shoot me a question or something!


End file.
